smokers outside the hospital doors
by sarsaparillia
Summary: Quickfic dump for the tumblr-impaired; multi-fandom, multi-pairing.
1. ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: korra/iroh ii  
**prompt**: modern day, on a train

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"I hate trains. I hate them, I hate them, I _hate_ them," Korra grumbled as she thudded down on the plush red velvet of the seat, arms cross and her lip stuck out in a pout. She did not look like a happy camper, but her companion paid her absolutely no mind.

"You're getting huffy over nothing, Korra," Iroh replied. He didn't have to look up at her to know that she was fuming.

The thought of it made him grin.

Silly girl.


	2. TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: modern day, cruiseship

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He was still the faint green colour he'd been for most of the trip. This cruise was not agreeing with his oh-so-delicate constitution, and Katara's blithe ignorance of the situation _was not helping_.

Zuko moaned.

"Awww, you poor baby," Katara said, laughter bubbling up in her throat as she pressed her lips to the top of his head. "You're so pathetic when you're sick."


	3. THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter  
**pairing**: molly/arthur  
**prompt**: pokémon

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Molly was bright red in the face, gesturing violently at her husband as she screeched at the top of her lungs "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT THOSE BOYS OF YOURS GOT UP TO LAST NIGHT?"

"No, Molly, dear," Arthur sighed. "What did the twins do _this_ time?"

"THEY BROKE INTO THE POKÉMON CENTER AND-"

Arthur decided now was a good time to tune his wife out. His Furret was tugging fearfully on his pant leg, and while Molly yelled and yelled, trainer and Pokémon snuck away as fast as they could.


	4. FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/jinora  
**prompt**: basketball game, modern day

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Bolin bounded off the court still high from the victory of the last basket (Korra and Mako followed far behind, lame and slow), grinning like a maniac. He bounced all the way to the fifteen-year-old girl waiting in the stands, and then he scooped her up and tossed her in the air until she was flushed and shrieking.

"Put me down!" she giggled. "You're gross and sweaty!"

He did as he was told, and Jinora smiled, and offered him a towel.


	5. FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: iroh ii/asami  
**prompt**: apocalypse

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The sky was ruby red.

Asami spat to the side, blood and saliva melting into the ground. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, staining an already-stained gloved and ignoring the stinging scrapes on her knees. She looked up at Iroh and shook her head.

"If we don't move, those _things_ are going to get us, and it is _not_ going to be pleasant," she said.

"Let's go," he said and nodded once, then pulled the safety on the rifle he held back with a muted _click_.


	6. SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: mako/korra  
**prompt**: dancing in a jazz club

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Music trickled over the pair of them, smooth as silk and soft, slow, dangerous sexy.

Korra smiled into Mako's thoat. It was so hot, but then again, as far as Korra was concerned, it was never hot enough. The lights dripped across them, dizzyingly fast.

"Want to get out of here?" she breathed.

"I thought you'd never ask," he chuckled, and together, they raced for the door.


	7. SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: iroh ii/asami  
**prompt**: having tea with the airbabies and zuko and katara

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The room simmered with tension.

The problem was, of course, that this gathering had not been previously agreed upon and was not, in any way, shape, or form a good idea. Iroh and Asami were curled happily together on the couch while both Tenzin and Zuko looked on in completel distaste (although both for different reasons), and Pema and Katara chatted happily off in a corner.

And the children, well, they were screeching loudly in the next room, but that was nothing new.

"Well," Korra said, sitting somewhere between the silently-warring factions of her extended family and awkwardly trying to give the room a break, "how about that there local sporting event?"


	8. EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: meelo, bumi  
**prompt**: azkaban

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"Uncle Bumi, we should make all these creepy floaty things disappear," Meelo said Very Seriously.

Bumi nodded slowly, raised a bushy eyebrow, and tapped his nephew's misshapen head. "But how, squirt?"

"WITH SINGING," shouted Meelo, far too ecstatic as he bounced up and down. "LIKE THIIIIIIIIS!"

Bumi seemed to like this idea.

The Dementors of Azkaban cringed. They were doomed to terribly off-key screeching for the rest of their lives, and there would be no one there to make it stop. And though the Dementors were at perfect liberty to suck the happiness out of a place, together Meelo and Bumi were _unstoppable_.

KABOOM.


	9. NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/asami  
**prompt**: riding through the city after dark

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Bolin clung to Asami's waist. It was dark, they were lost, and he was clinging to a very beautiful lady while she drove a motorcycle at a speed that was probably hazardous to his health.

"If we die, I am not going to be happy," Bolin whimpered into her ear.

"Calm _down_, Bolin," Asami's lips pulled up into a smirk that he would never see as she adjusted her goggles and gunned the engine. "And I'll _prove_ it—you might wanna hold on."


	10. TEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: in the himalayas

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The air this high up was thin and cold, and while Katara was perfectly at ease, Zuko was... not. They hiked slowly towards the summit of another nameless mountain hand-in-hand through the dampness and the cold only to finally—_finally_—burst into dazzling sunshine.

Girl and boy stood blinking owlishly for a moment, before Katara turned bright blue eyes and brighter smile towards him and giggled:

"See, I _told_ you it'd be worth it!"


	11. ELEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: katara/aang  
**prompt**: least favourite pairing in most favourite place

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Katara darted down the foot-worn path through golden prairie grass like she'd been born doing it. Skidding down the neer sheer-cliff face at a dead sprint, straight towards the glittering surface of the creek, she was going to crash. Aang closed his eyes, waiting gingerly for the impact—

"Hey, Aang, come down, the water's great!"

The twelve-year-old opened his eyes to find Katara standing ankle-deep in water, waving her arm high and grinning.

And he was already running after her, just like always.


	12. TWELVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: most favourite pairing in last favourite place

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The sun sank behind the peaks of the mountains that loomed over Lake Okanagan and turned the whole world to liquid gold. Katara sat on the dock, and dragged her foot back and forth through the water. She completely ignored the boy sitting behind her.

"It's so boring here," she said softly, without looking at him. "And I just—it's lonely, you know? You're almost never here, and Sokka's always off with Suki, and Aang and Toph just play in the sand..."

"I know," Zuko said very, very quietly. He shifted an inch closer, just enough to brush his shoulder against hers. Just enough to touch her hand.

And for one minute—just one minute—he thought he saw her smile.


	13. THIRTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: mako/korra  
**prompt**: at an amusement park

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"I think I'm gonna throw up," Mako said.

They'd ridden the Rollercoaster of Death eight times in a row. This was not the best idea Mako had ever had (but then, it hadn't _been_ his idea, _had_ it? Oh no, it had been _Korra_'s idea, just like how everything else that made him sick was _Korra's_ idea. He was not about to take the blame this time, he was not, he was not—except yeah, he totally was.)

"It's your own fault," she said.

Korra had to stuff her fist in her mouth to stop herself from laughing when he shot her a very dirty look.

She grinned innocuously, and offered him some cotton candy.


	14. FOURTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: madara/sakura  
**prompt**: coffee and benches at 3AM

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"He's not going to forgive you, you know," Sakura told the man sitting on her bench (and it was _her_ bench. She did not share this bench with anyone, because it had too many memories attached to it, and it—it was _hers_), conversationally.

They both knew who she was talking about. She didn't even have to say his name..

"Here," she said again, and shoved a steaming paper cup into his grip.

"I know," Madara sighed. He shook his hair out of his face, and took a sip of the scalding coffee. "I know."


	15. FIFTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: the changes in life (korra-canon)

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"We could have had something really good," Katara told the Fire Lord, one morning in the middle of summer. It was the time when the panda lilies were blooming and the sun shone furnace-hot even in the early morning.

"We do," Zuko replied. Because they did have something good—or at least, they had something, although _good_ was up for debate.

"With other people," Katara said, eyes sad. "And you know that's not what I mean."


	16. SIXTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sakura  
**prompt**: let's be happy and give no fucks

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There were some days when Sakura gave not a single fuck what anyone thought of her.

Those were the days when the blood under her nails went three-layers thick. The days when the sun didn't quite shine. The days when maybe she'd lost a patient earlier, or maybe her hair didn't quite stay in place—it could have been anything.

She didn't have them often, but this was one of those days.

Sakura smiled with her teeth, eyes like burnt-out holes in the world, and dug her kunai into his throat.


	17. SEVENTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: luck wasn't on their side

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The landslide had closed the mouth of the cave completely and Zuko and Katara were alone; they'd gone hunting for tinder in the Western Air Temple's jungle-murky depths, and now they were trapped in a cave without the only earthbender who would actually help them. Things were looking grim.

It wasn't going to be long before they started trying to kill each other.

Luck was really not on their side.


	18. EIGHTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: ty lee/mai/azula  
**prompt**: pirate ship

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Ty Lee hung upside down from the top of the crow's nest, laughing gaily as she swung back and forth with the wind. It was at the top of her lungs that she called down to her two best friends "AZULA! MAI! YOU GUYS SHOULD COME UP HERE, IT'S REALLY FUN!"

Mai glanced between her best friend and her captain, folder her arms, and said "If I have to, you have to."

Azula made an ugly sound at the back of her throat. "If we die, I'm blaming you."


	19. NINETEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: noatak/lin  
**prompt**: twilight princess: city in the sky

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"It's too bad you wouldn't die if I pushed you off the edge right now," Lin mused aloud over the soft hum-singing of the Ooccoo in the center of the Sky Temple.

"I'd be dead before I hit the ground," Noatak snorted.

Lin smirked, almost cruel. "Yes, well, shit floats."


	20. TWENTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: asami/tahno  
**prompt**: twilight princess: telma's bar

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"You're pathetic," Asami said to the bar's single patron, hip popped out and feathers braided into her hair. "You've been here three times this week, Telma's worried you're going to finish off the last of the Kokiri wine, and I don't even know your name."

"Tahno," he said, and then dropped his forehead to the bartop.

"Oh, girl troubles, then," her smirk turned sultry, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she bent down and murmured "So tell me about it?"


	21. TWENTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: pokémon  
**pairing**: ash/misty  
**prompt**: marriage proposal

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"No," she said.

"But—Misty, why not_?_!"

"Because I'm not even eighteen and I still have a gym to run and you, sir, are like _five_—so _no_, I will _not_ marry you!" Misty exclaimed as she whipped fire-engine red hair out of her face. She whacked him soundly over the back of the head to illustrate her point, and that was that.

(For now.)


	22. TWENTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke/sakura  
**prompt**: riding stupid-fast rollercoasters

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"Come on, Sasuke-kun, we've totally done things more dangerous than a _rollercoaster_ ride!" Sakura said. She was hopping up and down on the balls of her feet, wringing her hands excitedly.

Sasuke squinted up at the dangerous, upside-down loop-de-loops, and shook his head very slowly. "I don't think so, Sakura."

"Too bad—," Sakura said. Her smile widened to something almost comic in nature—certainly it was terrifying, and Sasuke was not about to admit how worried he was when she latched tightly onto his arm and started dragging him forwards. "—because you don't really have a choice."


	23. TWENTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: ursa/ozai  
**prompt**: 1920's hong kong

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Ozai met Ursa mostly on accident. As the second son of one of the very few elite Chinese businessmen that the British hierarchy relied upon to keep things in order, he had no business in any place but his classrooms, and certainly not down by the quay.

She was helping haul the day's catch at the dockmarkets, singing loud and off-key. When he brushed her shoulder and knocked her off-balance, she didn't hesistate to drop what she was holding and whip around to punch him in the face.

He fell backwards into the dirt, a little bit dazed, a little bit confused with blood running from his nose.

And suddenly, Ozai realized he'd just fallen in love.

He didn't even know her name.


	24. TWENTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: yukio/shura  
**prompt**: horror movie

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"I don't like this," Yukio shifted awkwardly on the couch. The leather squeaked loudly over the awful mental-institution-yellow flicker on the television.

"Aw, shaddup, Scaredy. Yer gonna be _fine_. I mean, s'just a movie, y'know?"

Ten minutes later, the screaming started.


	25. TWENTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: starbucks

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She'd been waiting in this over-priced, over-dressed, over-rated chain coffee shop for a near hour—he wasn't late, she was just freakishly early, because, well, this was just sort of how she got whenever Suzaku was in the picture.

Euphemia tucked long flyaway strands of hair out of the way in the meantime to keep herself from cracking her knuckles or some other unsightly habit.

"Hey—" Suzaku's dark eyes smiled down at her, gentle as fresh snow, "—chai latte. It's your favourite, right?"


	26. TWENTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: lelouch  
**prompt**: purple

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It was a sunny day.

Lelouch Vi Brittania stood on a beach, amongst the crashing of the waves, glittering saltwater droplets and the wind in his hair, in shimmery purple swimming trunks.

"WORLD, YOU MAY NOW ADORE ME," he screamed into the sky.

Euphemia and Cornelia very carefully did not look at each other, and, in perfect synchronization, began to quietly back away.


	27. TWENTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: the girl next door

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She was all dorky glasses and oversize sweatshirt when she answered the door, and she blinked at the boy standing on her stoop. "Um… hi?"

"My—my mom sent this over, to say hello—" he started and tripped over his own words, tongue thick in his mouth all twisted gone suddenly desert dry. He had no idea what to say to her.

She laughed, fushia hair loose around her face. "I'm Euphemia! Come inside?"

Suzaku was already wrapped around her little finger.

He just didn't know it yet.


	28. TWENTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: mako/korra  
**prompt**: swimming at air temple island

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Korra shot up from the water in the bay after Ikki, soaked and laughing as she whipped her hair back from her face, and shot up into the air after the little girl. "I'll get you for that, kid!"

Mako caught them both on the comedown as they hit the dock; Ikki went screaming away to cause more damage somewhere else, but Korra did not. She stayed exactly where she was and grinned him.

"Hey, City Boy," she chuckled soft and low. "Thanks."

"Any time," he grinned into the side of her throat.


	29. TWENTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke/sakura  
**prompt**: atla!verse

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The earth beneath Sasuke's feet trembled and tore. He only barely managed to avoid falling into the gaping hole she'd created, and when he looked at her, it was with respect in his gaze.

Sakura raised her head, and smiled.


	30. THIRTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: rin/shiemi  
**prompt**: house hunting

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"What do you want it to look like?"

Shiemi fiddled with the tips of her hair, pale gold against paler skin, and she flushed high on her cheeks as she spoke, "Some place… quiet, and—and small, and—and Rin, what are you—?"

He grinned brightly, looped an arm around her waist, and laughed, "And a garden, yeah?"

Shiemi kissed him.

"_Definitely_ a garden."


	31. THIRTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: the avengers  
**pairing**: steve/tony  
**prompt**: watching sci-fi

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"There is no way that is possible," Steve said.

Tony looked towards the other man, already fully mentally immersed in explaining to him how and why sci-fi movies were totally plausible—and stumbled just a little bit, the light from the television glinting off Cap's hair distracting him entirely.

At which point Tony got a boner, and decided that maybe it would be better if he just kept his mouth shut.


	32. THIRTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: nnoitra/neliel  
**prompt**: tangled hair

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His fingers knotted into long blue-green curls, and Nnoitra nearly snapped her spine in his quest to have her bare her throat—just once, just _once_. "Not s'nice now, huh, Nel?"

Of all the things he could have said, that was probably the last one he should have. Neliel bit down against his hand, bit down hard; she spat his blood to the side.

"Get _off_," she said quietly, "you _beast_."


	33. THIRTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: inu x boku ss  
**pairing**: ririchiyo/soushi  
**prompt**: playing the wii

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Ririchiyo puffed her cheeks out, red across the nose as she reached for the Wii-mote—she was stretching across Soushi, determinedly ignoring how close they were while he held the controller far out of her reach.

She cursed him silently. "_Drop_ it, dog."

Soushi smiled, lazy and slow as molasses, and kissed her neck below her ear instead.


	34. THIRTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: "what the fuck is that?"

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"What the fuck is that?"

"Toph burying Aang in rocks."

Zuko and Katara stared at the pair of fifteen-year-olds as they threw mounds and mounds of dirt through the air. It looked dangerous, but then, well, anything that Toph was involved in was usually dangerous on some level.

"If you let them near our kids, I am never going to forgive you," Katara said, eyes narrowed as she watched them.

Zuko choked and tried valiantly not to die.


	35. THIRTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: sailor moon  
**pairing**: michiru/haruka  
**prompt**: "your ice cream is melting."

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Haruka swallowed nervously. "Your ice cream is melting."

"Oh, I know," Michiru said. She ran her tongue around the edge of the cone, then along the tips of her fingers, the side of her hand to clean away the dripping treat. "You were saying…?"

Haruka was very quiet for a moment, eyes burning.

"Bedroom," she said. "I was saying bedroom." She grabbed Michiru around the waist, and very nearly dragged her indoors.

Michiru smirked.

She always got what she wanted.


	36. THIRTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: funeral

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It was unseasonably cold, the third anniversary of Euphemia Li Brittania's funeral. The nip of winter was in the air, bit down to his bones—Suzaku pulled his jacket tighter around his frame, and forced himself to look at her gravestone.

He didn't tell her that he missed her.

He didn't tell her anything at all.

Suzaku slumped to the ground, and covered his face.


	37. THIRTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: marriage proposal

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_It never would have worked out._

He has to tell himself that over and over and over again; she is an Empress now, and she does not have time for frivolous things like love. The fall over her hair over her shoulder is silk to make him ache deep in his soul.

And she will be married to someone else.

But Euphemia turns towards him, biting at her lip, eyes gone wide and scared and they could be anywhere—they could be anyone.

"Stay close to me," she says.

Suzaku can deny her nothing.


	38. THIRTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter  
**pairing**: harry/ginny  
**prompt**: animal shelter

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"We should start an animal shelter," Ginny said. She'd braided her hair into a single long plait, and now she stood and strode purposefully around the room.

"An animal shelter," said Harry. "Really."

"Or an orphanage. Yes, really," Ginny replied, nodded fast and eager.

Harry didn't need to ask why. Something was better than nothing, in a world post-war.


	39. THIRTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: inu x boku ss  
**pairing**: karuta/watanuki  
**prompt**: cafeteria food

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"Don't eat tha—!"

"…Watanuki…?"

Watanuki slammed his head against the lunch table. Karuta was always eating something—in this case, a very suspicious looking mushroom in the glop that they'd been served for lunch. He was probably going to have to rush her to the hospital. She was probably going to die.

He panicked loudly.

He panicked so loudly, he sort of passed out.

Karuta spooned more glop into her mouth, and didn't say a word.

Well, that was what you got when you decided to eat cafeteria food.


	40. FORTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: RL people  
**pairing**: sara/rick santorum (except not)  
**prompt**: grindr

**important note**: APPARENTLY I GET TOLD TO WRITE FANFICTION ABOUT MYSELF.

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He was running late. His wife was expecting him home, with a warm sweater vest and a TOTALLY SUPER ATTRACTIVE PAIR OF BOOBS TOTALLY.

"Red Rose tea," he told the cashier.

"That'll be two-fifty-eight."

He tapped his foot, adjusted his tie, and tried to not fidget with the hem of his vest. "Could you hurry up? I don't have all day."

The barista girl smiled with her teeth and pushed his tea towards him.

"So. Coffee, huh? Good job, that's the shittiest excuse I've heard all week."

Rick Santorum went white under his spray tan, and ran away.


	41. FORTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: sailor moon  
**pairing**: rei/minako  
**prompt**: lipstick stains

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Rei wiped the back of her glove over her mouth. It came away dark red, though with lipstick or blood, she didn't know.

"Why are we even doing this?" she asked, voice a murmur. She was so tired. She was so tired.

Minako flashed her a bitter smile. "I couldn't tell you if I tried."

The air around them exploded.


	42. FORTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: rin/shiemi  
**prompt**: bungee jumping

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"Rin, maybe we shouldn't—this is really high—" Shiemi said, knotting her hands into the worn hem of his shirt.

Rin whipped his hair out of his eyes, grinning brightly.

"You don't need to worry," he said. "I'll keep you safe!"

"But—Rin—"

"Too late, we gotta jump!" he laughed, and hooked his arms around her waist.

Shiemi screamed all the way down.


	43. FORTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: yukio/shura  
**prompt**: chess

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They'd been playing for hours. Yukio and Shura sat at across from each other across the chess board, and the only sound was the click of glass piece against black and white marble.

"Your move," Yukio said.

Shura eyed the board, a seasoned general in her own right. When she smiled, it was sharp-toothed and terrifying, and Yukio fought not to flinch back.

"Awww, Scaredy, look what'cha left me with," she chuckled.

"What?"

"Check—" Shura said, "—mate."


	44. FORTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: ichigo/rukia  
**prompt**: "i've been waiting"

—

.

.

.

.

.

"I've been waiting."

Rukia looked down at the man lying in the hospital bed—he was older and younger and stranger, but he was still her moronic strawberry. "Stupid," she scolded, "you weren't supposed to wait."

Ichigo coughed. "Like I had a choice, midget."

"I will not hesitate to kick you," Rukia said.

"I'm already a dead man, why'd ya gotta abuse me?" and there was blood on his lips when he spoke, and Rukia clutched at Shirayuki because he _wasn't supposed to be like this_.

"Stupid," she said again. This time it was sad. "So stupid."

"See you on the other side?" he asked, and there was such heartbreaking hope in his eyes that Rukia had to turn her face away.

"Yes," she said. "Yes."


	45. FORTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/jinora  
**prompt**: at the zoo

—

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.

.

.

"LOOK AT THE TIGERSEALS! LOOK AT THE TIGERSEALS! THEY'RE SO CUUUUUTE, AREN'T THEY CUUUUUTE?"

"THEY'RE GONNA EAT US!"

Bolin watched as Ikki and Meelo ran around screeching in circles, around and around and generally causing a ruckus. It would be a miracle if they didn't get kicked out, Bolin thought, cheerful.

"I'm sorry about them," Jinora sighed. "They're impossible, but mom always wants me to look after them—you didn't have to do this."

"Hey! Don't look like that. It's not so bad," he laughed.

"…It isn't?" Jinora asked.

"Of course not. You're here, right?"

She turned the colour of a tomato in reply.

Bolin could only ruffle her hair.


	46. FORTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: gin/rangiku  
**prompt**: tea party

—

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.

.

.

.

It was a cold day in paradise.

Rangiku was dressed in frills, diaphanous white, yards and yards of chiffon, and she sat in the midst of the barren garden with her head to her chest. Well-preserved as a butterfly wing, she'd been there for an age. The drip of blood from her wrist had long gone cold, and the food had all but turned to dust.

She'd never once opened her eyes.

"Drink up," Gin said, smiling. "The tea will get cold."


	47. FORTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: "what should we name him?"

—

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.

.

.

.

She was holding a squirming ball of dark brown fluff, glasses crooked, and smiling like the stars. It was a puppy, and Euphemia was clutching at him, probably too tight.

Suzuka stared, jaw on the floor, completely at a loss for words. "What… is that?"

"A puppy! I got him down at the pound!" she exclaimed. "What should we name him?"


	48. FORTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: something happy

—

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.

.

.

.

Snow fell outside the window of their tiny apartment. It was the middle of winter, in the time just before Christmas, and Euphemia was curled up by the space heater, wrapped in one of the thick knitted blankets her mother had supplied them with. She was looking somewhere far away, and Suzaku had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

"Suzaku…"

"Hm? he said.

Euphemia tugged on the long loose ends of her hair, tipped her head back and forth—she smiled like a secret, and shifted just an inch closer.

"I love you," she said.

"I know," he replied, and kissed the top of her head.


	49. FORTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/jinora  
**prompt**: wedding day

—

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.

.

.

.

Bolin and Jinora sat in the pews after everyone—the procession, the priest, the bride and groom—had all gone.

Bolin sighed. "That was a gong show."

"It could have been worse," Jinora smiled. "Ikki didn't blow anything up, at least."

"True," he replied. He draped an arm over her shoulders. "Can we ban your sister from our wedding? Would that be bad?"

Jinora smothered her giggles into his shirt.

"Yes, Bolin," she said, "that would be bad."


	50. FIFTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: fairy tail  
**pairing**: gray/lucy  
**prompt**: gunshot

—

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_Bang_.

"What—when did you get so good at this?" Gray was Very Distressed. This was not how gaming was supposed to go—he was supposed to show her up in front of everyone, not the other way around.

Lucy smirked, and tossed her controller to the ground in front of her.

"_That_," she said, "is none of your business. And, Gray?"

"_What_?"

"Put your clothes back on."


	51. FIFTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: zuko is a lightweight

—

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.

.

"_How_ much cactus juice did you let him drink?"

"Not even a full shotglass, I swear!" Sokka bleated, hands up in the air to protect himself from Katara's wrath.

There was a strangled laugh, and the Water Tribe siblings looked over to where Zuko and Toph were dancing around the fire, shouting like loons. Aang sat behind them, looking frightened.

Katara set her jaw. "I swear to all the gods, Sokka, if your broke my boyfriend, I am going to kill you. Are we clear?"

"I didn't—wait, what, since when is Zuko your boyfriend—?"

Katara ignored him entirely, and went to try to sort the situation out.


	52. FIFTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: renzou/izumo  
**prompt**: izumo dyes her hair

—

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.

.

"Stop staring at me."

"But—Izumo-chan, your hair—"

What, Shima? What about my hair?" Izumo puffed out her cheeks, turned red as puffin, and whipped her hair out of his reach.

"We match!" Renzou nearly shrieked, and threw himself on her. "YOUR HAIR IS PINK!"


	53. FIFTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: lelouch/c.c.  
**prompt**: playing the piano

—

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.

She found him in Euphemia's study, glaring at a rarely-used piano.

"…What are you doing?"

Lelouch continued to glare at the ivory keys. "I ordered it to play."

"…That's a piano," C.C. said. "It's not _alive_."

"So?"

C.C. turned away fast as she could, stuffed her fist into her mouth to keep herself from bursting out into ugly, ugly laughter. Lelouch ignored her entirely. He was going to make the stupid thing play with mind-power alone if it killed him.

He was going to make it play even if it was _the last thing he ever did_.


	54. FIFTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: DCU  
**pairing**: dick/artemis  
**prompt**: none, because beth sucks dick—OH SNAP.

—

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.

.

"You are not funny," Artemis sighed.

They sat across the table from one another in a Denny's at 3AM on a Tuesday night—Wednesday morning, what_ever_, Dick, the sun was down and it was black outside and she was too hungry to care.

"But look, it's grinning! It's so happy to see you, Arty," Dick said, and proffered a plate of pancakes with bacon for a mouth, and a pair of fried eggs for a mouth. forget grinning—it was the ugliest thing Artemis had ever seen.

"That's uglier than you are. And don't call me that," she said.

But she was starting to smile, even if it _was_ stupid.


	55. FIFTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: meelo, rohan  
**prompt**: meelo being an awesome older bro.

—

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.

.

The flower-girl flushed brightly as his older brother tucked a pink flower with soft petals behind her ear.

Rohan stared avidly. It wasn't often that he got to watch his brother at work—often, Meelo was far too busy training to take his little brother anywhere, much less out to the city to hit on pretty ladies.

"See ya later, sweetheart," he told her. As the girl stumbled off in a stunned haze, Meelo winked down at his younger brother.

"That, little dude," he said, "that is how you do it.

Rohan was utterly in awe.

Meelo was the _best_.


	56. FIFTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: marvel  
**pairing**: gambit/rogue  
**prompt**: new york city

—

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.

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.

.

New York was a rainy place. Gambit stared out the window of a nondescript high-rise to a grey sky and thick droplets in the air.

"Ar' you sure 'zis is the place, cherie?" he asked.

Rogue lay under the thin sheets, propped up on her elbows with dark curly hair all around her face, and she smirked.

"Ah'm always sure, sugah. Always."


	57. FIFTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: lelouch/c.c.  
**prompt**: serious!lulu / latin

—

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.

.

.

.

"Bella horrida bella," C.C. murmured, hands folded neatly in her lap. Her gaze was somewhere very far away, set on some dark place in her endless past.

"What?" Lelouch asked, gaze gone sharp. It wasn't very often that C.C. looked like she'd like very much to die.

(That was a lie. C.C. always looked like she'd very much like to die.)

"Wars," she said, shaking her head. "Horrid wars."


	58. FIFTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: lelouch/euphemia  
**prompt**: dead!euphie

—

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.

.

.

.

He carried her around like a mantle.

The ghost of her laughter, the ghost of her smile—Lelouch carried Euphemia Li Brittania's ghost around so often that sometimes people could see her curled around his throat, tight as a noose.

But that was memory, for you.

And there was no forgiveness for someone who had killed his sister.

Lelouch pressed the tips of his fingers together, and began to plan another bloodbath. Euphemia wasn't forgotten yet.

He wouldn't stop until she'd been obliterated.

This was only the beginning.


	59. FIFTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: naruto/hinata  
**prompt**: braces

—

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.

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.

.

Hinata came to school fiddling with the tips of her hair, and biting her lip nervously. Today was the day, today was the day, _today was the day_. Her mouth still hurt, and her gums ached, but her teeth were shiny white, and—

She gulped, and walked through the classroom door.

"Hey, Hinata-chan—!"

Hinata smiled nervously.

Naruto skidded to a stop in front of her, blinking madly. He squinted at her for a minute, and with each passing second, Hinata got progressively more and more nervous.

"Um… Naruto-kun…?"

"Nothing! You just look pretty. C'mon, the others—"

He dragged her towards the back of the class, and Hinata smiled so bright, she lit up the entire room.


	60. SIXTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: hama, koh  
**prompt**: twilight princess!avatar

—

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.

.

.

"Give him back," Hama said. The curve of her whale-bone knife glinted in the golden firelight, and she said again "Give him back or I will make you _regret_ it."

"You're going to have to _defeat_ me first," the Face-stealer hissed in reply.


	61. SIXTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke/sakura  
**prompt**: mermaid au

—

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.

.

.

.

"They say that monsters haunt these waters."

The captain paid his first mate no mind. Yes, monsters—the sirens lived deep below the surface of this place, and the creatures only came out at the full moon. Sasuke had been hunting for years.

"Monsters are what we're looking for," he said, quietly.

The wailing started.

Eerie and cold, the twining voices echoed wetly off the water. Sasuke folded his arms, and a girl rose from a break in the waves. She was pale and perfect with moon-silver hair and green eyes. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Hello," she smiled. "I'm Sakura. Would you like to come for a swim?"


	62. SIXTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: hairy

—

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.

.

.

.

"You need a haircut," Katara said as she carded her fingers through Zuko's hair. It was late enough that the rest of their ragtag little family had long gone to sleep. "You're all shaggy."

Zuko snorted. "Shaggy?"

"Shaggy, hairy, whatever you want to call it. You look like an idiot," she tugged just hard enough to hurt.

"Ouch."

"Quit whining," Katara told him. She paused to look up at the sky—it was simple black, no moon, no stars. "It's not going to be long now, is it?"

Zuko's mouth a thin grim line. "No, I don't think so."


	63. SIXTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: i wonder if i would have married you

—

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.

.

.

.

"I wonder if I would have married you," she said, one day in June.

Suzaku blinked, and looked over at his Empress. She was sitting at her desk facing towards him, face intent with the sun streaking down her hair—she was lit up, turned to liquid gold, and so beautiful it made his throat tight.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"I wonder if I would have married you. If this—," she waved a hand, indicating the opulence of the room at large—she meant this, this place, this time "—hadn't happened."

"I don't know," Suzaku replied.

"I think we would have," Euphemia said. She was glowing, eyes alight with the possibility of it. "We would have been so happy."

"Are you not happy now?"

"No. Yes. I don't know. Maybe… no, one day, we will get married. When it's all over. If you want?"

Suzaku could only nod.

He would love her for his whole life.


	64. SIXTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: tahno/korra  
**prompt**: n/a

—

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.

.

.

.

Avatar Korra's eyes shone ice blue for one hot second, fingers burning against his forehead. She rearranged, reassessed, replaced—she scrambled his brain to set it back in order.

And Tahno could again feel the water.

It sloshed against the inside of his skull, cool and gentle as rain in summer.

He listened, and the water washed him clean.

"Okay?" Korra asked.

Tahno stood, trembling a little, and looped his arms around her. She was warm and small beneath his grip. He dropped his forehead to the crook of her throat, and tried to breath.

"Okay, uh-vatar," he croaked. "Okay."


	65. SIXTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: byakuya/hisana  
**prompt**: first encounter

—

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.

.

.

.

Byakuya should never have met Hisana.

It was as simple as that. He was running a little early, or maybe she was running a little late—either way, they were off their respective schedules, that day. Either way, it shouldn't have happened.

Byakuya went flapping down the hall, trying to avoid the darts Yoruichi was sending after him. She was always trying to kill him—and then he literally crashed into someone.

They went sprawling to the ground, books and dignity scattered everywhere. Byakuya looked up, to send the ingrate that dared get in his way the oh-so-patented Kuchiki Death Glare, and found himself face-to-face with a tiny ball of furious female flesh.

"You _idiot_," she huffed. "Now I'm going to be late—ugh, get out of the way!"

And she proceeded to clean up her books and hurry away without sparing him another second of her time.

Byakuya stared after her, gobsmacked.

In the background, Yoruichi started to laugh.


	66. SIXTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: cabbage man/cabbages  
**prompt**: forever alone

—

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.

.

.

.

The cabbage man sniffled as he gathered his cabbages up yet again. The poor, leafy vegetables were bruised all purple-black—he was going to have to lay them to rest.

"It's alright, my dears," he whispered. "One day, we'll be together again!"

The cabbages said nothing (because they were _cabbages_).

"MY CABBAGES!"


	67. SIXTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood  
**pairing**: ed/winry  
**prompt**: movie night

—

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.

.

.

.

"Oh my god, Ed, could you be any more awkward?" Winry giggled, shoulders shaking with the effort of keeping full-blown laughter from escaping her. The ex-Fullmetal Alchemist sat rigidly next to her—he was fighting to look casual, and he was failing miserably at it.

She shook her head, still grinning, and skooched over into his personal space. He looked down at her, blinking.

"Hello," he said.

Winry elbowed him. "Calm down," she said, "it's just a movie. I'm not going to jump you, or something—come on, I've done that already."

He turned a very unflattering shade of fuchsia, and Winry laughed and laughed and laughed.


	68. SIXTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood  
**pairing**: ling/lan fan  
**prompt**: proposal

—

.

.

.

.

.

"Will you marry me?"

"No," Lan Fan told him. She didn't even have the decency to look up from her paperwork, too concerned with whatever it was that she was trying to write into law to pay him an iota of attention.

Ling wilted. "Why not?"

She dipped her brush in ink, doodled a squiggle, and finally looked up. "It will impede my ability to protect you, young master. Now sit down, we need to go over these accounts—"

"Will you marry me?"

Lan Fan narrowed her eyes. "You already asked me that. I already said no."

Ling grinned widely. "I'm going to keep asking until you say yes. You _know_ how annoying I can be."

She stared at him with her mouth open for several long, uninterrupted seconds. Just as it looked like Ling was about to open his mouth to pester her some more, Lan Fan threw her hands up.

"Fine," she said, exasperated. "Fine! I'll marry you."

"I knew you'd come around—"

"But not anytime soon," she finished, smirking wide as her whole face. "Now sit _down_, and _listen_."


	69. SIXTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: fire alarm & spinklers going off

—

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.

.

.

.

The fire alarm rang at 2:03 in the morning.

Katara and Zuko stumbled out of their respective rooms, bleary-eyed and snarling. The floor was nearly empty—most people didn't stay on campus during the summer, because most people didn't take classes in the summer. They were the only two, and this—this was—

This was _unacceptable_.

"I swear to every god, named and unnamed, if Toph pulled that lever again…" Katara grumbled. She'd tumbled out of her room wrapped in a thick quilt her Gran Gran had put together as a going-away present, and now she followed Zuko down the stairwell, rubbing at her eyes.

It was cold and dark outside.

No one was very happy with this predicament.

Katara leaned against Zuko, still-asleep. He went pink, and she didn't notice at all.

"Katara—"

"Shh," she said. "Sleepy-time now—"

And just then, the sprinklers went off.


	70. SEVENTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: naruto/hinata  
**prompt**: the american challenge

—

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.

.

.

.

"Y-you didn't have to walk m-me back," Hinata said.

September in Konoha was an indian-summer affair; it was all dripping gold heat and late nights, and the sun never seemed to really disappear at all. In a way, it was the perfect time, because the Summer People had gone, and the students were back, and, well…

Suffice to say, it was good for long-overdue university parties. Sophomore year started with a bang—the biggest party in living memory, thrown three days after the start of term. Everyone had drank too much, smoked too much, eaten too much (they'd wrecked the place with three rounds of a drinking-smoking-eating_don'tvomitdon'tvomit_-putting-a-puzzle-together-but-_don'tvomit_)

Naruto slung an arm around her shoulders. "Nah! I need t'take care of you, I promised your cousin."

He was still high as a kite, and Hinata had to wonder who was really doing the taking-care-of. She sighed, and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Neji-nii w-would want you to take me home. Um, a-are you sure you're okay to… walk?"

Naruto nodded fast, over-eager. "'Course! I gotta pretty girl to walk home!"

He was such an idiot.

Hinata went starry-eyed, anyway, and smiled bright as sunshine.


	71. SEVENTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: amon/korra  
**prompt**: twilight princess!au

—

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.

.

.

.

She held him down, the tip of her sword digging into his jugular. Blood welled thick and red in the hollow of his throat, and Korra stared down with ice eyes.

"I should kill you," she said.

"You should," Amon replied, laughing hoarsely behind his mask. "Your princess—"

"Shut _up_," Korra hissed. "Don't even speak her _name_. I'll _destroy_ you."

"Your witch princess will _die_," he panted. "No one will save her, _Hero_."

Korra didn't spare him another word. She raised the sword far back enough to give her the leverage needed to drive the sword through his throat. She was rage incarnate, fury and bloodlust, and when she smiled, it was a violent thing.

On the back of her hand, the Triforce of Courage shone blindingly.

No one heard him scream.


	72. SEVENTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: jet/smellerbee  
**prompt**: first encounter

—

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.

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.

.

He caught her wrist as she swung at him.

The girl looked at him from under shaggy hair and flat dark brows, scraggly, too skinny, dirty—but there was something fierce in her dark gaze that held him back from running her through with the sharp edges of his hooks.

She was small, underfed, wary in the bones. He could see it in the way she moved.

She was everything Jet was looking for in a Freedom Fighter.

He spat the ever-present strand of grass to the ground, and offered her a friendly smile. The look on her face didn't change, and Jet only smirked wider.

"Hey doll," he said. "I'm Jet. What's your name?"


	73. SEVENTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: itachi/sakura  
**prompt**: guitar

—

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.

.

.

.

She smashed the guitar over the back of his head. Itachi clonked forwards, passed out without another thought. She'd knocked him out.

Sakura looked at Sasuke, red in the face.

"Your brother makes me _so mad_."


	74. SEVENTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: jet, zuko  
**prompt**: honour

—

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.

.

.

.

"What does honour have to do with it? She's hot."

Zuko sputtered, eyes gone buggy. "That—you can't just—what are you—you—_you_!"

"Yes, me," Jet said, nodding amicably. "Took you long enough. Seriously though, dude, what's the problem? It's not like she's a kid… right? Because if she is, that's pretty fucked up."

"She's not a kid," Zuko said, trying to restrain himself from glaring death rays at the idiot sitting in front of him into the ground.

"…Then what's the problem?"

Zuko made a sound like dying, and went to find a tree to hit his head against.


	75. SEVENTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood  
**pairing**: roy/ed  
**prompt**: burns and bickering

—

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.

.

.

.

"I hate you."

"I hate you more."

The two men glared at each other. They both had burnt fingers and two week's built-up rage from three days without their respective significant others to keep them from trying to destroy each other.

They'd done nothing but bicker, and this was no different. Al watched them, shaking his head slowly back and forth.

"You two really need to kiss and make up, already," he said, wise.

For his trouble, he got a pair of pans thrown at his head, and Ed and Roy went back to plotting each other's miserable demise.

Just another day.


	76. SEVENTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: marvel  
**pairing**: steve/tony  
**prompt**: coffee addiction

—

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.

.

.

.

Tony came down from the 3AM nicotine bender, shaking in the fingers as he staggered from his lab to the kitchen, searching for a cigarette and maybe a cold cup of caffeine to satiate that particular addiction. The world tilted just enough to make his hair stand on end—just enough to make the bags underneath his eyes skew to dark purple bruises in the fluorescent light.

"What day is it?" he asked, voice hoarse.

"Tuesday," Steve said, and handed him a cup of steaming coffee.


	77. SEVENTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: marvel  
**pairing**: tony/bruce  
**prompt**: drunk!tony and a van de graaff generator

—

.

.

.

.

.

"We should probably not be doing this," Bruce said. He eyed the Van de Graaff generator a little warily. "There is a _reason_ no one takes you seriously, Tony."

"Nonsense!" Tony crowed. He grinned down at the long tubules connecting the electrostatic generator to the nuclear particle fission blaster-thing-that-Tony-invented-whilst-drunk-that-Bruce-still-didn't-quite-trust-because-it-looked-a-bit-like-a-doomsday-weapon, a little manic. "It'll be fine!"

He really ought to have been used to this, by now, Bruce thought.

Tony grinned. "So is that a yes?"

"I guess so," Bruce sighed. "What could it hurt?"


	78. SEVENTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: korra/asami  
**prompt**: oktoberfest

—

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.

.

.

.

Korra giggled into the crook of Asami's neck.

This was not good. Korra did not giggle. Even in the midst of Republic City's biggest booze-fest (a secret booze-fest, at that—prohibition was in fuller swing than the beginning of the Big Band Era, the flurry of long polka-dot poodle skirts swirling across the floor to ragtime Fire Nation brass), Korra _did not giggle_.

And so now, pressed together in the middle of a crowd, the Avatar giggled drunkenly, and Asami Sato had been charged with keeping her from breaking things.

This was an impossible task.

"Come on, Korra," Asami sighed. "Let's get you home."


	79. SEVENTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: inu x boku ss  
**pairing**: zange, watanuki  
**prompt**: proposal advice

—

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.

Watanuki would have gone to Soushi, had he the chance. That would have made _sense_, at least—Soushi was about to get married, and he had asked Ririchiyo to marry him, right? That was a thing that he'd had to have done (Watanuki did not take into account the fact that Ririchiyo may or may not have been the one to "forcefully suggest" order the union in the first place), right?

But Soushi was nowhere to be found.

Watanuki grumbled to himself. "Maybe I should just…"

"Awwww, Wata-chan, what's got your goat noooow?"

The colour drained out of Watanuki's face.

"Oooooh," Zange cooed, "you need advice, don't you? Come to my chest, tell me alllllllll about it, and I can paint your nails and braid your hair and then I'll tell Karuta-chan all sorts of stories—!"

Watanuki went screaming for the hills.


	80. EIGHTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: marvel  
**pairing**: steve/tony  
**prompt**: tony has insomnia, college!au

—

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Steve finds Tony haunting the floor common room couch obscenely early on Sunday morning. The dark circles under his eyes are more pronounced than yesterday, and Steve sighs.

"You didn't sleep at all, did you?" he asks.

Tony doesn't reply. He doesn't really have to.

Steve sinks into the couch. The corduroy is worn and soft under his fingers, and he slips an arm behind Tony's head. Tony looks like he's about to say something, but instead, he says nothing at all.

The TV light flickers.

They wait.


	81. EIGHTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: tramp stamp

—

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Katara couldn't stop laughing. "I'm sorry, you deserved this!"

"How did I deserve this?"

"You let Sokka take you drinking!" she said, like that explained the whole thing (it pretty much did, not that Zuko was going to acknowledge that but whatever). "You're lucky it wasn't anything worse."

Fire seethed from behind his clenched teeth, and Zuko twisted in the mirror to survey the damage—the characters of her name, inked permanently in dark blue ink across the small of his back. It was very unflattering.

"How?" he demanded. "How could it be worse?"

Katara smirked, and reached up to pat his cheek.

"It could be across your forehead, Zuzu," she said, kind. "Just be happy your advisers don't see this much of you often."

Zuko made a strangled sound. "Don't _call_ me that!"


	82. EIGHTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: jet, zuko  
**prompt**: zuko makes tea

—

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"What the hell is this? Are you trying to poison me?"

Zuko didn't even blink. "Yes. Is it working?"

Jet spat the purposefully-lethal liquid to the floor. He smirked, teeth shiny sharp against the gloom of Ba Sing Se's Lower Ring.

"Not yet, Fire Nation scum," he replied.


	83. EIGHTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: dcu  
**pairing**: dick/beth  
**prompt**: dick being adorkable

—

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"You're such a dork," Beth snorted.

She watched without comment as her boyfriend was soundly beaten into the ground—whoever thought it was a good idea to teach Damian to play Mario Kart was wrong.

"I am not!" Dick managed. "I am—stop that, are you trying to kill me?"

"Yes," Damian said, face lit up eerie in the TV light. His eyes never left the screen. "And of course he is not a dork. Batman cannot be a whale's penis. That is unacceptable."

Dick choked on his own spit.

Beth laughed herself to tears.


	84. EIGHTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: the shower

—

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She's standing under the shower spray fully clothed when he comes home. Steam gushes from the open bathroom door, clouds of soft wet cotton candy, and Dave looks over the top of sunglasses, eyebrow raised.

"What are you doing," he says. It is not a question.

She is a dark shape behind the shower curtain, and Jade peeks around the plastic to stare squintily at him. Her hair is sopping around her face, and then hems of her sleeves are dripping.

"I was cold," she says. Her eyes are empty and dull as bottle glass.

Dave looks at her for a moment. Jade is sixteen and Jade is beautiful and he does not know her, anymore. The seconds tick away underneath his skin.

He shoves the curtain out of the way, and steps in with her.

"I'm cold, too," Dave says, and presses her into his chest.


	85. EIGHTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: bro, jade  
**prompt**: strife before bed

—

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"Why the hell do you have to do this _all the time_, Dirk?"

"Engarde," Dirk replied lazily. He lifted one of those shitty swords at her face, and Jade tried very, very hard to avoid shooting him neatly in the forehead.

There were just some days when Jade had no idea what to do with her boyfriend's brother.

"You need to go to bed!" she said, hands on her hips.

"Make me," the kid snorted.

Jade screamed her rage to the sky.


	86. EIGHTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: mako/korra  
**prompt**: mako is hideously good at penguin sledding

—

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.

They came in covered in snow, red-cheeked, and arguing.

(This was nothing new, given that it was Mako and Korra. Bolin tuned the pair of disgusting lovebirds out without another thought, and went back to teaching Rohan how to say his name.)

"You are not better at penguin sledding than I am!" Korra said. "I've been doing it since I was a kid—there is no way, you cheated!"

Mako smirked. "I don't cheat."

Korra opened her mouth to voice a retort, but Asami, sitting with Jinora in her lap, got there first.

"Actually," she smiled blithely, "you kind of do!"


	87. EIGHTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke/sakura  
**prompt**: iraq

—

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The explosion was so loud, Sakura didn't even hear it. Everything went mute around her, shaking as the earth shattered into a million-trillion pieces, shrapnel through the air, and she was—she was—

"Jesus Christ, Sakura, we can't stay here."

His voice was a dark thing against her ear, and Sakura shivered for reasons entirely different than the ones that should have made her shiver. She glanced up at him through her bangs.

Sasuke always looked the same.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket, and together, they ran.


	88. EIGHTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: mikoto/fugaku  
**prompt**: "it's elmo's world..."

—

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Mikoto ran her fingers through her youngest son's dark hair. He'd fallen asleep in the midst of telling them all about how everything was part of Elmo's world—such a silly boy.

"Come on, little man," she murmured. "Let's get you to bed."

She hummed a lullaby, rocking her boy back and forth, and set him down in bed. Her fingers lingered near his cheek—she loved this child desperately.

"He's so _small_."

Mikoto looked around, and smiled softly at her husband. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, eyes trained on their youngest. He tried so hard—but Sasuke wasn't Itachi, and Fugaku was still adjusting.

She loved him so much she thought she would die from it.

"Yes," she said. "He is."


	89. EIGHTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/jinora  
**prompt**: beach day

—

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Ikki blows out the door, a hurricane in frayed cutoffs and an orange tank top yelling at the top of her lungs over her shoulder and her sister and her sister's boyfriend to _hurry up, Koh take you, I want to go swimming already and Meelo and Rohan are long freakin' gone_!

Jinora and Bolin follow her slowly. The eldest airbender wears a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off her face, straw, tied with an orange ribbon.

"Always orange," Bolin chuckles.

Jinora shrugs, smiling a little. "Orange is a good colour."

"I know," Bolin says.

He tips her head up long enough to lean down to kiss the tip of her nose. Jinora flushes the colour of a sunrise.

It is the sweetest thing he's seen all day.


	90. NINETY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke/sakura  
**prompt**: bambi

—

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"If you were a deer, you wouldn't be Bambi."

Sasuke was sure that was the strangest thing Sakura had ever said to him. And that was saying something—Sakura said some pretty weird shit, sometimes.

"What?"

"You'd be that pissy asshole deer that tried to steal Faline away from Bambi, you know? You're always grumpy, and you've probably never even been close to twitterpated. You're boring, Sasuke-kun."

"Because I'm not like Bambi," Sasuke deadpanned.

"Because you're not like Bambi," she repeated, nodding. "Exactly."

"That doesn't even make sense, Sakura."

"Your _face_ doesn't even make sense," she trilled, and went back to a movie about dead mothers and twitterpated animals. Sasuke sighed.

He never stood a chance with this girl.


	91. NINETY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: kakashi/anko  
**prompt**: doom!

—

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"DOOOOOOMMMM!" Anko cackled as she watched the new batch of genins scramble around the Forest of Death. She popped her knuckles one-by-one and listened to their screams of terror with a nostalgic sort of tear in her ear.

"You are _sick_," Kakashi said, arms loosely crossed.

"You like it," she smirked. "Else you'd be off with someone else, being boring and old-fashioned instead of hanging out with me! I know you, Kakashi."

"Whippersnapper," Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Pervert," Anko sang. "C'mon, these rats need terrorizing, don't you think?"


	92. NINETY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: edward cullen

—

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.

"What the hell is _this_?" Katara shrieked. The scroll went flying across the room, crumpled and soaking wet.

Zuko stared. "…Do I even want to know?"

"HE SPARKLES, ZUKO. WHAT KIND OF VAMPIRE _SPARKLES_?"

"Uh…?"

"BAD ONES, THAT KIND. I CANNOT BELIEVE—UGH, WHERE IS TOPH WHEN I NEED HER."


	93. NINETY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: adventure time  
**pairing**: fionna/marshall lee  
**prompt**: watermelon shampoo

—

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"…You smell weird."

Fionna stared. "Pardon me?"

"You heard me," Marshall said. He floated a half-inch off the ground, arms crossed over his chest, frowny-faced. It was not attractive, Fionna thought. Definitely not attractive at all.

"I do not smell weird!"

"Fine, weird, different, whatever. You don't smell right."

"How am I supposed to smell, then?"

"Like Fionna. You smell… I don't know," Marshall shrugged. "I don't like it. What did you do different?"

Fionna rolled her eyes and fought not to shrug helplessly. Marshall was impossible to a fault—Bubblegum Prince, whatever was she going to do with him?

"I, uh, used different shampoo this morning?"

"What kind?" he stressed, like this was Very Important Information.

"Watermelon," Fionna said.

Marshall ingested this piece of information. He wrinkled his nose up, went all squinty-eyed, and stared at her. "I don't like it. Don't do it again."

Fionna smiled beatifically. "Too bad for you, dude. I like it a lot. The watermelon stays."

"BUT FIONNA—!"


	94. NINETY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: dcu  
**pairing**: dick/beth/dick  
**prompt**: dick grayson v.s. dick grayson

—

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.

.

"Jeez, this place is huge. Beth, are you sure this is right?"

Beth glanced over her shoulder at her boyfriend (let's-go-see-movies-neither-of-us-care-about-I'm-totally-checking-out-your-ass) person, and made a face that was a cross between lovestruck and horrified. Dick Grayson versus Dick Grayson.

This was going to be a very interesting experience.

"Yes, Dick," she said. "I'm sure it's right. I told you it was big."

"You didn't tell me it was _this_ big," he muttered.

"Oh hush, you big baby," she said fondly. "There's someone you need to meet."

"So you keep saying," he replied, lips twitching. He followed the pink flash that was her hair through another dark-glass sliding door, and was presented with—himself?

"Who—?"

Beth grinned a little nervously. "Dick, meet Dick. Please don't hit each other."


	95. NINETY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: summer rain

—

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.

.

Lightning so bright a white it was nearly purple lit up the sky. Jade sat in the window-ledge nook with her knees up to her chest and stared upwards, eyes wide. The pane was open only a crack, and the rain came in on thunderous sweet air, fresh and clean.

"Is it always like this?" she asked.

He sat on the floor next to her and shrugged a little. The movement of his shoulders grazed up against her thigh, and a little thrill of heat shot through them both.

"Yeah," Dave said. "Shit like this happens a lot here."

"It's so beautiful," she whispered.

"I guess," he said, and turned his head just enough to press his lips to her bare skin.


	96. NINETY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: naruto/hinata  
**prompt**: hot tub

—

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.

.

"But I—I don't have a b-bathing suit!" Hinata said, panicked. Everyone was shimmying out of their clothes and she was—she was _not prepared for this_. She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Maybe I'll j-just—stay out?"

Naruto looked at her, dismayed. "Are you sure, Hinata-chan? It'll be boring without you!"

Hinata flushed darkly. "I—I'm sure. I—I just…"

He stared at her for another minute or so, gaze intent, and then he whipped his shirt off and offered it to her. "You can wear this, if you want?"

Hinata took it from him, shy. The fabric was warm and worn soft beneath her fingers.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she whispered.

"Anytime, Hinata-chan."


	97. NINETY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: falling in high heels

—

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.

She wears red heels on their wedding day. Dave can see them flashing beneath the tulle of her skirt as she fairly dances down the aisle. Her eyes glint bright as gemstones, and she is so beautiful that his chest aches.

But Jade had never been one for heels and he can see her tripping a second before she actually does.

The world blurs.

Dave's arms anchor around her waist before she hits the ground, and it's more habit than anything else that has her looping her arms around his neck.

Jade laughs too soft for the congregation to hear. "Always saving me, huh, coolkid?"

Dave smirks. "Always, Harley."

They pull each other back to standing, and walk back to the alter hand-in-hand.


	98. NINETY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: adventure time  
**pairing**: fionna/flame prince  
**prompt**: birthday presents

—

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.

.

Fionna had heard from Marshall (who had heard from Beemo who had been talking to Lumpy who had been eavesdropping on Prince Bubblegum and the Flame Prince himself) that it was the Flame Prince's birthday.

She had no idea how old he was, but, well, Fionna secretly loved birthdays.

(If Marshall wasn't such an extraordinary douchebag all the time, she would have thrown him a gigantic party celebrating all his birthdays just for the hell of it.)

"Happy birthday!" Fionna sang, and grinned widely at him.

The Flame Prince didn't seem particularly impressed.

She presented with him a colourfully-wrapped box. "Here, open it! It's a—"

Both the wrapping and the box went up in smoke.

"—flame-retardant teddy bear."


	99. NINETY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: beta kids  
**prompt**: movie night

—

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.

"John, I apologize in advance. But if you insist on another Nicholas Cage movie, I will be forced to extract your eyeballs from your skull with my knitting needles," said Rose, serene with her hands folded neatly together.

"Or you could just take his glasses off!" Jade giggled into Rose's shoulder. The four of them were squished onto Da ve's bed, limbs askew and curled together at odd angles across his sheets.

"You people know _nothing_ of true genius!" John said, deeply offended. Dave tuned what was likely to turn into a long-ass rant out, and tucked his chin into the crook of Jade's shoulder.

What a strange family he'd built himself.

"—and come on, what kind of tool has a TV stuck to his ceiling, dude? Class is not that hard."

Dave reached across the girls to punch John in the arm. "You're the tool."

"I am not!"

Just another movie night in the Beta household.


	100. ONE HUNDRED

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dirk/roxy  
**prompt**: first & last kisses

—

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.

.

The last time Dirk kissed Roxy was much like the first time Dirk kissed Roxy—it was still to save her life, and it was still a wild gamble.

The difference was: the first time Dirk kissed Roxy, she woke up.


	101. ONE OH ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: alpha kids  
**prompt**: apartment hunting

—

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.

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"All I want is a big kitchen."

"We know, Jane," said Dirk.

"Yes, that's what you said _last_ time," Jane rolled her eyes and hitched her arm a little tighter around Roxy's waist. "And I think we all jolly well remember how _that_ turned out."

"Awwww, Janey, don' be like that," Roxy slurred. She nuzzled her nose affectionately against Jane's cheek. Had Roxy been anyone but herself, Jane would have been liable to freak out—as it was, she simply sighed, and hugged her friend in return.

Jake squinted down at the scrap of paper in his hand. "Should be right around here."

"One more can't hurt," Jane said, and dragged them determinedly through yet another front door.


	102. ONE OH TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: alpha kids  
**prompt**: disneyland

—

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"Wha'd'ya _mean_, I can't have alcohol?"

"It's a no-alcohol zone," Dirk explained patiently. "We went over this on the plane, Roxy."

"But I was _drunk_ on the plane!" Roxy wailed.

Jane and Jake stood a little ways off, arms linked. "Come along, then, Roxy! I would like to get going before we're all old and grey!"

"BUT JANEY, THE ALCOHOL! THINK ABOUT THE ALCOHOL!"


	103. ONE OH THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: becoming step-siblings

—

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.

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.

.

The latch on Jade's window rattled and snapped. She looked up, alert, and found herself staring at red irises through glass and dark shades. She dashed across the room and shoved the window open.

"What are you _doing?_!" she hissed in a whisper "Get in here—and are you _seriously_ wearing sunglasses at night? What kind of coolkid are you?"

She pulled him through the window, and they collapsed to the floor, a pile of limbs and late-night melancholy.

"I'm leaving," he said.

"What?"

"Leaving. Tonight. Now."

"Why?" she asked again.

"I can't be related to you. I can't." Dave took a deep, slow breath. "Will you come with me?"

Jade didn't even hesitate. "Yes. Let me get my things."


	104. ONE OH FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: waiting in line for an amusement park ride

—

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.

"How long 'til we get to the front of this stupid line?" Jade asked. She bent back over the metal line barriers, dark hair falling everywhere.

"A while," Dave said.

"It's so hot," she murmured. Her elbows sat against the metal, chicken-wing skinny. Jade was all angles, the sharp against the soft.

"Welcome to Texas," Dave said again, and took a step forward into her space. The line hadn't moved in what felt like forever.

"Hey, coolkid, people are staring."

"So? Let' em stare," Dave replied. He bent forward just enough to press his mouth to the top of her head.

Jade smiled into his chest.


	105. ONE OH FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: aang/toph  
**prompt**: "hurry it up, twinkletoes"

—

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.

.

.

.

Toph rubbed her hands together, and eyed the Fire Lord's Summer Palace. "Hurry it up, Twinkletoes! Those komodo rhinos aren't going to saddle themselves!"

"Gimme a minute!" came Aang's panicked voice from somewhere inside the stables. To put it lightly, komodo rhinos did not enjoy being saddled.

"Seriously, hurry! We have a palace to destroy!"

From the shoreline, the Fire Lor made a whimpering sound as the dull roar of destruction began.


	106. ONE OH SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/jinora  
**prompt**: beach day

—

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.

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.

"You don't have to stay with me, you know," Jinora said. She sat with her kneeds up to her chest, a pair of thick books at her side. Tucked up underneath the umbrella as she was, the sun did not touch her.

Had she been anyone else, she would have looked lonesome.

Bolin was sprawled next to her, and he shrugged. "Nah, I'm good."

"But, I mean, the others—you don't have to—"

"Jinora," Bolin said gently, "I'll stay until you want to go.

The girl turned bright red.

"Oh," said Jinora. "Okay."


	107. ONE OH SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: korra/iroh ii  
**prompt**: knight in shining fireferret uniform

—

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.

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.

"You look like an idiot."

"You always look like an idiot," Korra replied cheerfully. She flexed in the mirror, forced her voice up into high falsetto, and batted her eyelashes at him. "Oh, Iroh! I'll be your knight in shining armour and save you from the big bad dragons!|

"Knight in shining fireferret uniform," the general snorted. "And for the record, I like dragons."

Korra pouted. "La, you're so much more annoying than I remember. Go make out with Asami or something, you're a million times more tolerable when she's around."

"Says _you_. I think she finds me quite tolerable—"

"Oh _gods_, Iroh, go _away_."

"Yes, _Avatar_," he chuckled, already on his way to the door. "Oh, and Korra?"

"Huh?"

"Good luck out there."

Korra's answering grin could have lit a whole city.


	108. ONE OH EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: the hunger games  
**pairing**: gale/katniss  
**prompt**: enjoy the little things

—

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.

.

They'd been out for three days, freezing the tips of their fingers off—they were fourteen and fifteen, three weeks after Katniss' birthday.

"I hate winter," she grumbled, and stuffed her hands under the pits of her arms to keep herself warm.

Gale glanced down at her. Katniss was the epitome of grouchy rebellious teenager right then, and something deep in the recesses of his chest squeezed painfully. The night was perfectly silent around them, and the stars had come out clear to play with the icy air.

"Enjoy the little things, Catnip," Gale said quietly. "We don't know how long we'll be able to keep it up."


	109. ONE OH NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dirk/roxy  
**prompt**: how it could have been

—

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.

.

Dirk and Roxy sat on the roof of a long-abandoned building, hands linked with an empty bottle of vodka between them. They'd watched the sun go down together, but that had been hours and hours ago.

She dropped her head to his shoulder.

"You okay?" Dirk asked.

"Yes, I guess," Roxy replied. She sounded more sober than he was. "Jus' thinking."

"About what?"

"How stuff could have gone but didn't," she said. Her gaze was very far away. "If I wasn't in love with Janey."

"I see," Dirk said.

"…Do you ever miss them?" Roxy asked.

Dirk sighed. "All the time."


	110. ONE TEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: jade/karkat  
**prompt**: may i have this dance?

—

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.

.

"May I have this dance?"

Karkat looked utterly horrified. "No! Dance—what, is that some sick human euphemism for getting your pail on? I bet it is. I bet it's some fucked up—"

Jade rolled her eyes, hands on her hips. "Oh my goodness, calm down! It's just a dance. You know, movement of the body?"

"I KNEW IT WAS SOME GRUBFUCK-FORSAKEN—NO, NO, STAY AWAY FROM ME—!"

Jade ignored him entirely. Without further ado, she swept him up into a waltz, and didn't let him out of her grip until he'd calmed down enough to dance with her proper.


	111. ONE ELEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: really bad pick-up lines

—

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.

"If people were letters, I'd put _u_ and _i_ together."

"That is so over-used, Dave. And awful. What kind of coolkid _are_ you?"

Dave poked the girl sitting in his lap sharply in the side (and promptly ignored her indignant squawk of rage). "And you can do better?"

"Of course!" Jade said. "What do you think John and I did for three years?"

"Each other?"

"Creep."

"That is not a pick-up line."

"Your _face_ is not a pick up line."

"Ouch," Dave deadpanned. "And you're definitely not sitting on me."

Jade twisted in his lap, a grumpy little curl to her lips. "Are you calling me fat?"

"No!" Dave said.

(If there was one thing Bro had taught him…)

Jade settled back against him. "That's what I thought. Anyway. How much does a polar bear weigh?"

"What."

"Just answer, Dave. How much does a polar bear weigh?"

"I don't know how much a polar bear weighs."

"Just enough to break the ice. Boom, I win!"


	112. ONE TWELVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: teen titans  
**pairing**: terra/beastboy  
**prompt**: at a concert

—

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.

In the gloom of the most pit, Beast Boy swung Terra in a circle. Bright strobe light hit her face, and he caught a snapshot of her laughing. He filed it away for later perusal, when his heart wasn't beating so fast.

He had no idea who was playing.

It was still the best night of his life.


	113. ONE THIRTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: baking

—

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.

It was common knowledge that Euphemia couldn't cook. There was a _reason_ she was banned from the royals kitchens—the cooks wouldn't stand for it, because they said that her mere presence gave them all bad luck.

But Suzaku had never been able to deny Euphemia anything.

(This was also common knowledge.)

She was covered head-to-toe in flour, fingers sticky, icing across her cheeks and in her hair. She was lovely. There was a little cake sitting next to her. It did not look edible at all.

But a princess kissed him in a sunny kitchen all because he'd let her bake her brother a cake.

And it was perfect, and Suzaku wasn't about to ruin it for anything.


	114. ONE FOURTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: shikamaru/temari  
**prompt**: fan-shopping

—

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.

"No! This one's too light! Get me something heavier."

Shikamaru went to find his girlfriend something heavier.

"No! This one's off-balance!"

Shikamaru went to find something better-balanced.

"_No_! This one isn't right, either!" Temari chucked the fan to the ground, folded her arms, and smirked. "Come on, Crybaby, there _has_ to be another fan-shop in this god-forsaken place. Take me there!"

Shikamaru moaned, but did as he was told, anyway.


	115. ONE FIFTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: mako/korra  
**prompt**: swing dancing

—

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Korra watched the dancers on the floor with wide eyes.

Swing was new and interesting and it—it looked _fun_. She whirled around, and stared at Mako.

"I want to learn!" she said.

"But Korra—"

"Come on, learn swing with me!"

"But, Korra—"

"Please, Mako?" she blinked pleadingly at him. Mako sighed. There was no getting through to Korra when she got an idea in her head.

"Alright," he said.

"Yes!" Korra cheered. She near threw herself on him, arms around his neck, and she pressed her mouth to his over and over and over. "Thank you!"


	116. ONE SIXTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: teen titans  
**pairing**: starfire/robin  
**prompt**: cooking together

—

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"You look very silly in that—that—" Starfire paused as she struggled to find the proper word in English to describe what he was wearing "—_thing_, Robin."

Robin glanced down at the pink frilly apron that Cyborg had outfitted him with. He flushed a dull red. "Star, it's not—"

She laughed, merry. "I will call it a strange Earth custom for when one cooks, and I will not question it."

Robin grinned sort of weakly.

"Thanks, Star," he said. "You're the best."


	117. ONE SEVENTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: valentines' day

—

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"Are you doing anything for Valentines?" Euphemia asked idly, one cold day after the New Year parties had finally winded down to a close.

Suzaku sputtered and nearly spit out the hot chocolate he was in the midst of choking down. "_Pardon_, milady?"

"Valentines," she said slowly. "The pink holiday? We give each other chocolate…?

He choked some more.

"Are you alright?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

"No, no, nothing—you were saying something about Valentines?"


	118. ONE EIGHTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/asami  
**prompt**: driving lessons

—

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"No, Bolin, that—"

_Crash_.

"—puts it into reverse."

Bolin chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry."

Asami laughed. "Korra was worse. Try it again."


	119. ONE NINTEEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: renzou/izumo  
**prompt**: something angsty

—

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"Stay with me," Izumo says. She brushes his hair away from his eyes. "Stay with me! Renzou, look at me. Look!"

Nothing.

Panicking now, she shakes him a little. "Look at me! You promised you'd be—you promised—open your _eyes_, damn you!"

He doesn't.


	120. ONE TWENTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: ship wars

—

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.

"No! Go away! They are _meant to be_, Dave!"

"How can you say that? "He _cheated_ on her, Harley!"

Jade huffed. "He's also stupid and confused, but look at them—he gave her his father's scarf, her and _only her_! Don't you dare tell me that they are not perfect!"

Dave sighed. "If I did that to you, how would you react?"

Jade batted her eyelashes at him. Her smile was sharp as broken glass. "I'd have Rose cut your dick off."

"See?"

"I'm not Korra, coolkid. My eyes aren't the right colour."


	121. ONE TWENTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: jane/jake  
**prompt**: tea without sugar

**notes**: I seem to be unable to write turn-of-the-century phrase. oh well.

—

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"Jake, where did you put the sugar bowl?"

"In the pantry, dear, where it always is."

"Oh," said Jane, and ducked into the aforementioned pantry to find the ever-elusive sugar bowl. Her skirt flounced as she rooted around for it, and Jake waited for the sound of dismay.

He loved Jane, really, he did, but she could be a bit of ditz, sometimes.

"Jake!" she called.

There it was.

"Hold your shoeless horses, I'm coming. I know you don't take you tea without sugar."


	122. ONE TWENTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dirk/roxy  
**prompt**: black coffee

—

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"I hate the world," Roxy moan. She came into the kitche clutching her head, most likely in the midst of hangover hell given how much she'd had to drink the previous night.

"You desere that," Dirk replied, and held up a cup of coffee. "Here, it's black and tooth-rottingly sweet."

Roxy took it from him, grateful. "You're a saint."

Dirk rolled his eyes behind his shades. "Put the vodka back, you don't need any more alcohol today, Roxy."

"BUT DIRK."


	123. ONE TWENTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dirk/roxy  
**prompt**: waking up in vegas

—

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When Dirk sat up, his head was pounding, and there was glitter in his hair. This was not good. "Where are we?"

"I don'—I don' know," Roxy said. "My head hurts."

"Your head always hurts, Roxy," Dirk said gently, and slipped his shades off to slide them onto her face—the glittering lights all around them were probably killing her head.

"This looks like the Vegas strip," he said again, slower this time.

"Vegas? How'd we get to Vegas?"

"I have no idea."


	124. ONE TWENTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: "dave, will you marry me?"

—

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Jade strode into the room with her hands on her hips. "Dave, will you marry me?"

"What," he said.

"You heard me, coolkid. Will you marry me?"

"O… kay?" said Dave.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder and wheeled around. "So there, Rose! He said yes!"

"Horrorterrors _damn_ you, Strider, can't you keep your dick in your pants?"

"What does this have to do with my dick_?_!"


	125. ONE TWENTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: dave/jade  
**prompt**: who needs traditional gender roles?

—

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"I'm going hunting," Jade called. She had a loaded gun and three days' worth of bullets—she was going to be fine. "I'll be back when I kill something big."

Dave poked his head around the corner in a frilly pink apron that had once belonged to his elder brother. There was batter on his face. He looked ridiculous.

"Be safe," he said.

"Yes, dear!" Jade called. She shouldered her gun, and trudged out the door. "Love you, bye!"

Who needed traditional gender roles?


	126. ONE TWENTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: ursa, zuko  
**prompt**: mother-son reunion

—

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.

"Hello, turtleduck," she smiled.

"Mom," Zuko said. "Mom!"

He nearly crashed into her, wrapped around her and sobbed into her shoulder. "I missed you so much."

"I know, beloved," Ursa murmured. She pressed her son's face into the crook of her neck—he'd gotten so tall, she'd missed so much—and sighed softly. "I know."


	127. ONE TWENTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/asami  
**prompt**: family day

—

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The little girl swung between them, laughing. She was a tiny thing, all of five years old, with her mother's eyes, he father's nose, and curls all her own. They called her Rei, after her grandmother.

"Higher, Daddy, higher!" she giggled.

Bolin swung her up, way up, tossed her high enough to fly, shot through the air with her own fledgling earthbending talents—she screeched her enjoyment. "Mommy, mommy, look!"

"I see you, Rei," Asami smiled, and helped her husband catch their daughter on the way down.


	128. ONE TWENTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: the worth of love

—

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.

"Is all love worth the same?"

"I think so. Why?" he asked.

Katara looked at her hands. "Because I love Aang. But I love you, too. And I love Sokka, and I love Toph, and Suki, too… But they're all different kinds of love, Zuko, and I don't know if they're worth the same thing."

"Do they feel the same?"

"No," she said.

"But they're all love," Zuko said slowly.

"Yes."

"Love is love, Katara," he mumbled. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Just because it's different, doesn't mean it's worth less."

"Yeah," she said at last. "You're right."


	129. ONE TWENTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/asami  
**prompt**: christmas shopping

—

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"Mako needs socks, Bolin."

"But that's a terrible present!"

Asami sighed audibly, arms crossed over her head. She shook her head at him. "Stop pouting at me, it's not getting you anywhere. Sometimes presents need to be _practical_."

"But Asami—!" Bolin wailed."

"_No_, Bolin," she repeated. "Come on, we have more things to get."

"Can we at least stuff them with tinsel?"

She sighed again, deeper this time. "Fine."

"Yay!"


	130. ONE THIRTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: sky high/naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke, warren  
**prompt**: NA

—

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"I hate everything."

"I hate everything more."

"My brother killed my entire family."

"My mom was a supervillain."

The two men looked at each other, and nodded slowly.

"I feel your pain, bro. I feel your pain."


	131. ONE THIRTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: dcu  
**pairing**: dick/beth  
**prompt**: the sombrero of life

—

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"You look like you raided a mariachi band."

Dick looked utterly appalled. The pompoms on his sombrero swung, offended. "I would never do something like that!"

Beth expelled a long-suffering sigh. Her lips twitched, too, so she couldn't have been _that_ bothered. "That's the thing. I know you wouldn't."

He was to… _Dick_, to ever raid a mariachi band. That was more Jason's style, anyway.

"Where did you get it?" she asked.

"The attic. It's the Sombrero of Life!"

Beth stared at him, trying to stop herself from bursting into ungainly laughter. She shook her head. "Only you, Dick."

And Dick, ridiculous and completely serious in his sombrero with the swinging pompoms, blinked at her.

"What'd I do?"


	132. ONE THIRTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bible/naruto  
**pairing**: jesus, naruto  
**prompt**: who got dah better ass?

—

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"No, dude! My ass is still nicer than yous!"

Jesus huffed and crossed his arms. "I don't even know why we're talking about this."

Naruto looked scandalized. "BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT. I GOTTA BE ABLE TO SAY THAT MY ASS IS NICER THAN GOD'S!"

Jesus pinched the bridge of his nose. Father, this kid was going to drive him up the wall. "Fine. We need a judge."

Naruto's eyes lit up bright as lightning. "Oh, I know! Sakura-CHAAAAAN!"

He ran off to find the girl in question, and Sasuke, standing off to the side, shook his head and muttered "She's going to hurt him."

"Well," said Jesus, considering. "He sort of deserves it. His God Complex is bigger than _mine_."


	133. ONE THIRTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: cornelia/guilford  
**prompt**: euphemia's grave

—

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"My lady—"

"Please," Cornelia said. "Give me a moment."

She knelt in fron of her younger sister's grave, sunlight dappling along the granite. She only came on sunny days—Euphemia would not have wanted it any other way, and she would respect that. The light sent the deep engravings into high relief. Cornelia ran her fingers along the grooves.

"I miss you, little one," she murmured. "I miss you so much."

She knelt there for a very long time, and did not say another word. Neither did he—he stood back and waited for his princess to stand.

Finally, she did.

"Thank you," she said, looking him straight in face, "for coming with me."

She did not thank just anyone.

Guilford inclined his head. "My lady."

She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.

Cornelia looked towards the sky, and almost smiled.


	134. ONE THIRTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: tiger & bunny  
**pairing**: karina/ivan  
**prompt**: the garden of amahara

—

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She stumbled into a wrought-iron fence, exhausted. She'd been travelling for twelve days—she'd been out of food for the last three, and her water supply was just about out. And wasn't that ironic. It stood in the middle of the tundra, utterly out of place. Karina stared.

The gates swung inward, even though she never touched them. She tumbled in, and the gates closed behind her.

There was a boy standing in the middle of foliage. He blinked at her. "Hello?"

She was clearly hallucinating. Karina grinned, because if she was going to die, at least she'd die happy. "Hi. Where am I?"

"The garden of Amahara," he replied.

"Oh," she said. And then, a strange, hysteric laugh bubbling up from her throat, she covered her face with her hands. "_Oh_. How did I find it?"

"Who are you?" he asked.

She looked at him through her fingers. His hair shone white-blond in the sun, and his gaze—a disconcerting violet—was trained on her face.

"Karina," she at last. "I'm Karina."


	135. ONE THIRTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: toph/aang  
**prompt**: the boxer rebellion

—

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.

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"But—Toph—"

"What d'you want me to do, Twinkletoes? Let'em walk all over us? Let'em _crush_ us?! No!"

"But—_Toph_—"

"There's nothing for it. I _have_ to help. I get it, okay, you're a monk, you do that whole weird—pacifism thing. And that's great, and it suits you, but—but what do you expect me to do?!" Toph raged, and stomped her foot against the floor. The earth trembled beneath them.

"Toph…" he said again.

She looked down towards the ground, sightless eyes forlorn. Her voice was very tired and very soft when she spoke. "I don't want their God, Aang. I don't."

"I know," Aang said. He looped an arm around her suddenly-fragile shoulders. "I don't, either."


	136. ONE THIRTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of zelda  
**pairing**: link, midna  
**prompt**: avalon

—

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"Oh, Midna! Have you come back to finish your training, then?"

Midna clenched her hands into tiny fists and bared her teeth and the girl with fawn eyes and primroses twined through her hair. "Not this time, Rhiannon."

"Your friend, then? He is a Hero in his own right, I can see, Rhiannon said, and took a step towards the pair of them. She was as graceful as clouds drifting across the moon. "Would you care to stay a season with us, mortal?"

Link was far too tongue-tied in front of this fey girl with fey magic glinting at her fingertips to say much of anything. Midna flit between them, eyes cold.

"_No_, Rhiannon, he would _not_," she said. Midna glanced over her shoulder. "C'mon, Link. Let's find your stupid sword and get _out_ of here."


	137. ONE THIRTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: a song of ice & fire  
**pairing**: jon, daenerys  
**prompt**:

—

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"What's down there?" Dany pointed down to a gaping maw of fire and brimstone. Skeletal beings reached up towards her, moaning, and she shrank back next to Jon.

The Ferryman cackled. "That? That be Tartarus, little bird. Be happy you're not to know what that place be."

Her forehead wrinkled up as she frowned, and whispered "Jon, where _are_ we?"

Jon stared straight ahead. "We're dead, Daenerys. I think this is Hell."


	138. ONE THIRTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: ichigo, tatsuki  
**prompt**: ajanta caves

—

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.

.

"_Ow_! Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

Tatsuki sent her old friend a fearsome glare. "We're in a holy place! Show some respect, Ichigo!"

"Why should I? It's not like we're—"

_Whack_.

"_Ow_! What is it with you and Ruki and _violence_?!"

"You are so lucky she expects you to come home. If she didn't, I'd push you into the gorge and leave you there, because you're horrible and you deserve it!" Tatsuki scowled at him and pinched the bridge of her nose. The fact that Ichigo survived _everything_ that people threw at him had to be _sheer dumb luck_. "Now shut up, and pay attention, 'cause I will _not_ hesitate to go dojo on your ass—I used to beat your ass into the ground, and I'll do it again. This place is ancient. Have some respect!"

Ichigo grumbled.

Tatsuki smirked, and led the way.


	139. ONE THIRTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: sokka, mai  
**prompt**: asphodel meadows

—

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.

The Asphodel Meadows were a beautiful place. The sky was a sort of cool blue-grey, and the grass beneath her was springy and soft. It rained often. Mai, for all she could bring herself to care, quite liked it. It was a quiet place, and very rarely was she disturbed.

Dying wasn't the worst thing that had ever happened to her, for sure.

"Hey."

Mai looked up. It was the Water Tribe boy—she didn't remember his name, but then, her old life felt very far away.

"Hello," she replied.

"Can I sit?" asked Sokka.

Mai's lips twitched. "Do as you like."

So he did.


	140. ONE FORTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: inuyasha  
**pairing**: kikyou, kagome  
**prompt**: shambhala

—

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.

"Where _are_ we?" Kagome asked, staring about in wonder.

Kikyou relaxed her grip on her bow. "We have found God. Come, Kagome."

"What?"

The other woman looked over her shoulder. The smell of dirt and bones was thick in Kagome's nose, and she knew that they didn't have much time. Kikyou tucked her hands into her sleeves. "You heard me, sister."

"I'm confused."

"This is Shambhala, little one," Kikyou sighed. "Come. We must pay our respects."


	141. ONE FORTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: a song of ice and fire  
**pairing**: lyanna, ned  
**prompt**: purgatory

—

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Lyanna sat with her hands clasped in her lap and her eyes closed. Ned approached her very slowly—it had been many years since he'd seen his sister. She was still beautiful as she remembered, still as vibrant and alive as she'd been even on the day of her death. He sat down beside her without preamble.

"Thank you for protecting my son," she said, eyes still closed.

Ned sighed even as a tired grin began to work its way across his face.

"Anytime, little sister," he said.


	142. ONE FORTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: puella magi madoka magica  
**pairing**: madoka, homura  
**prompt**: yggdrasil

—

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.

.

"Yggdrasil?" Madoka tried the word out. "What's that?"

"It's the world tree. In Norse Mythology," Homura explain, and turned the page of the thick old book in her lap. "Lots of things live in it, see—"

"Do you think we could climb it, one day? Together?" Makoda asked. Her face was lit with an enthusiasm so hopeful that Homura's chest hurt.

"Yeah," Homura smiled weakly. "Maybe."


	143. ONE FORTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender/durarara!  
**pairing**: shizuo, toph  
**prompt**: valhalla

—

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.

.

.

.

"So, how'd you die?"

Shizuo looked down, amused, at the diminutive girl happily working her way through a gigantic leg of something or other.

"A flea killed me," he said. The rage welled up, for a moment, but Shizuo let it drain away. He refused to allow himself to anger over it, now.

"A flea? That's kinda lame."

Shizuo raised an eyebrow at her. "Runt. It got me here."

"I guess that's true," she replied. She chucked a bone over her shoulder, and then fixed a milky green gaze on his face. She stuck her hand out. "I'm Toph."

"Shizuo," he said, beginning to grin.


	144. ONE FORTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: spirited away  
**pairing**: chihiro/haku  
**prompt**: the foggy swamp

—

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.

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.

.

"I saw you," the girl stared at him with wide eyes. "I saw you! I know you!"

Haku stared down at her. She was small—looked to be of Earth Kingdom origins. If that was so, he had no idea where she would have seen him before. Haku did not often leave the sanctity of the temple.

"Pardon?" he asked.

"In the Foggy Swamp," she breathed. "I saw you in the Foggy Swamp, and you're—you're a waterbender, right? You need to teach me!"

"Who are you?" he asked again, non-plussed.

"My name's Chihiro," she said, and pressed her palms to her cheeks. "I'm the Avatar."


	145. ONE FORTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: sokka/mai  
**prompt**: zuko & katara's wedding

—

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.

.

.

.

So far, Sokka had spent most of the night swearing loudly. He'd been unable to look at the bright glow of happiness that surrounded his sister and his best—ex-best! Zuko was a traitor!—friend.

"It's disgusting, _look_ at them—"

"Would you kindly _shut your trap_," said his companion. Neither knew why they'd been seated together, for certainly Mai couldn't stand Sokka, and Sokka was terrified of Mai. It didn't make for good dinner conversation, at any rate.

"Why would you—"

"Zuko _broke my heart_ for your sister," Mai said quietly. She kept her gaze straight ahead, eyes empty. Her tone was perfectly bland—she could have been talking about the weather. "Don't make me regret not killing them both."


	146. ONE FORTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: sozin, roku  
**prompt**: the trident (a song of ice & fire)

—

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.

.

.

.

The waters of the River Trident ran fast, that year. Currents ran dangerous and muddy just beneath the waters' roiling surface. It was cooler than it should have been. Sozin and Roku looked on through thick mist.

"No one will be able to cross, with the river like this. No merchant caravans, no travellers—nothing," said Sozin. His brow was furrowed, and he bent to dip his hand into the water then touched his tongue. He made an ugly face. "Salty, too. It's wrong."

Roku folded his arms inside the wide sleeves of his robe, gaze trained far up the river.

"That's exactly the point, brother," he said.


	147. ONE FORTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: a song of ice & fire  
**pairing**: lyanna, catelyn  
**prompt**: the goshinboku

—

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.

.

.

.

Lyanna touched the bark of the ancient tree, reverent and infinitely gentle. She could feel the magic that ran through its roots like a far-away wave—tiny on the horizon, but carrying a monument of power in its wake. It was beautiful, heady, _powerful_.

"This is an old tree," she murmured. "A God tree."

"Lyanna, we shouldn't _be_ here," Catelyn said. She shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot, rubbing at her arms to ward off a non-existent chill.

Lyanna paid her sister-in-law no mind. She was a Stark. She belonged to the First Men; God trees were all that she knew, and that wasn't about to change now.


	148. ONE FORTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter/tiger & bunny  
**pairing**: draco, barnaby  
**prompt**: the dál riata (lost girl)

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Two blond men sat brooding at the Dál Riata's bartop. Light and music pulsed and pounded all aroud them, and they both looked liquid in it; they were both searching for an escape.

Draco Malfoy sneered down at the fae alcohol in his grip. There were Muggles here, he knew—Granger was probably coaching them through the experience. He glanced at the man to his right. He looked just about as miserable as Draco felt.

"Who dragged you here, then?" he asked.

"My team," the other man said, stoic. "Idiots."

Draco certainly knew _that_ feeling. He stuck oout a hand, exactly the way Granger always did. "Draco Malfoy.

"…Barnaby Brooks," the man replied, and took the offered shake.


	149. ONE FORTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: buffy the vampire slayer/lost girl  
**pairing**: buffy, bo  
**prompt**: platform 9¾

—

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"Security detail?" Bo asked.

"Sadly." Buffy replied.

The two women in dark leather stood side by side with their arms crossed, watching as bunches of wizarding children ran about screaming. Their parents looked exasperated and grateful in turns, and Buffy and Bo nodded when they got looks.

It was only for three hours, but _someone_ needed to watch the little monsters until the train got going. There was no telling what sort of monsters would come out to munch on this much uncontrolled magical power. Quite frankly, the Wizarding Embassy in the States had begged, and hey, a job was a job.


	150. ONE FIFTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: the one-hundredth anniversary of the war

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"It's been a while, Firelord," Katara said, smiling.

"_Ex_-Firelord," Zuko replied, testy. He had no desire to resume is post—his daughter had the country well in hand, and everything was _exactly_ as it should be.

The fireworks were loud in both their ears. They sparkled across the sky in flares of red, green, blue, purple—the anniversary of the end of the war shone brightly across Zuko and Katara.

"It's been a hundred years," she said in a lull of noise.

"It has."

They stared upwards. They didn't look at each other.

They didn't need to.

Zuko reached for Katara's hand.


	151. ONE FIFTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter  
**pairing**: Hermione, luna  
**prompt**: yubaba's bathhouse at night

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Yubaba's bathhouse was lit up like a Christmas tree on fire, that night; it was all gold and red and gushing steam from all the windows. Hermione and Luna stared upwards, the former gaping in wonder and the latter smiling dreamily like this had been her plan all along.

Luna looped her arm through Hermione's, and tugged her along, gentle. "Come on, Hermione. I _told_ you Japan was a good idea."


	152. ONE FIFTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: the sea of izabella

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Katara's laughter was as silvery as the reflection of the stars above them off the churning waters of the Sea of Izabella. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, grabbed Zuko's hand, and stared at him in earnest.

"Stop being such a stiff!" she said. "Mama Izabella knows where we need to go. Trust her!"

"Katara, you are talking about the ocean like it's a living thing."

She huffed and shook her head. "You Commexico idiots don't have a clue. Mama Izabella _is_ living. She's alive! And if you can't trust her, well, trust me at _least_. We'll be fine, Zuko. I promise!"

Zuko exhaled a long, tired breath. "Alright. If you say so."

"I do," Katara grinned.

And then she pulled him away from the helm, and Zuko let Fate take its course.


	153. ONE FIFTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: a song of ice & fire  
**pairing**: jon snow, ghost  
**prompt**: twilight palace (abarat)

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The Twilight Palace was a melancholy place. Once, it had not been so—Jon could tell that once, this palace had been full of laughter and light and love, but no longer. It rang silent, now, and the only sound was the melody of a far-away lament.

Jon dug his fingers into Ghost's fur.

"Stay close," he said.

The direwolf growled softly in reply.


	154. ONE FIFTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: korra/equalist!mako  
**prompt**: 19th century london

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He watched the Avatar enter the ballroom. She was among the newest set of young women come to town for the season—she couldn't have been that much older than Mako's younger brother was.

When they introduced her, they called her Korra.

She was lovely.

He crossed the floor, and offered her a hand before anyone else thought to move. Let them think he was interested because she was exotic and powerful in her own right. Let them think.

"My lady," Mako said, and offered her a hand. "Would you like to dance?"

"Of course," she said. Her voice was husky-sweet, and a thrill of disgust mixed with pleasure ran up his spine as he led her out onto the dance floor.

On his shoulder, the Equalist tattoo burned.


	155. ONE FIFTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: c.c./lelouch  
**prompt**: n/a

—

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It was an ostentatious hat—a thick, well-worked leather tricorn, graced with gems and jewels and feathers and charms. C.C. pushed it back on her face to tilt it to a strange angle where it hung off the back of her head, and blinked innocently at Lelouch.

"What is this?" she asked. "Why do you keep it in your closet?"

Lelouch tried very hard to find an answer that didn't make him look like a tool. This was very hard. She was wearing the hat and not much else, and it was _distracting_.

They stared at each other for a moment.

This lasted until the hat slipped back down C.C.'s forehead, and Lelouch began to froth at the mouth from the brain work. He quietly passed out, and the floor with a dull_ thunk_.

She tipped her hat back again, and stared down at him for another minute. Then she went to find a marker, and gave him a decidedly unattractive mustache.

In permanent marker.

C.C. took a picture for posterity's sake.


	156. ONE FIFTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter, dr. who  
**pairing**: Hermione, the doctor  
**prompt**: n/a

—

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"Hello, Hermione."

Hermione glanced up from where she was sitting and reading. There was a man standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing trousers that were a little bit too short at the ankle, a bow tie, and—was that a fez? He looked dodgy. She narrowed her eyes.

"And… you are…?"

He grinned brightly.

"I'm the Doctor," he said. "Would you like to go on an adventure?"


	157. ONE FIFTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist/durarara!  
**pairing**: shura, izaya  
**prompt**: gotham

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Gotham is perfect, Shurra decides on her second night there. She's nearly been killed three times in the space of forty-two hours, and she hasn't felt this alive since that summer she spent chasing after Scaredy in an effort to give him a haircut. Gotham is dirty and ugly and awful. She likes it, and, hell, why not? The sushi is fantastic.

She's sucking down cheap ramen noodles when Orihara Izaya flops down next to her, and sighs loudly.

"Oi, Orihara," Shura says, around a mouthful of noodles. It is very unladylike. Shura does not give a single fuck. "So ya left Ikebukuro, huh?"

Izaya throws a theatric hand across his forehead. "Shu-chan, you're so _mean_! Almost as mean as Shizu-chan when he's in a mood, but not as stupid. That's a good thing, you know."

Shura swallows down the rest of her noodles. "Whatever ya say, kid. So what'cha got for me?"

His face split into a predatory grin. Anything that makes Izaya grin like that is bound to be a ton of fun. "I've got a _job_, Shu-chan. You want in?"

"_Always_," she says, and mirrors his grin.

He grinned brightly.

"I'm the Doctor," he said. "Would you like to go on an adventure?"


	158. ONE FIFTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender/dcu  
**pairing**: ty lee, harley quinn  
**prompt**: tim hortons

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Tim Horton's was almost empty when Ty Lee rolled in. It made sense—the sky was pitch black, ad most people were already asleep. There were only two people in the entire place besides Ty Lee herself—the kid at the counter, and a girl with gorgeous yellow hair probably waiting for her drink. She had a lovely aura.

Ty Lee bounced over, and chirped "Hi!"

The girl stared.

"You have a very nice aura," Ty Lee said seriously. "You're like Azula!"

"I dunno no Azula, but I'll take the compliment, you're a cutie," the girl smiled. She had very sharp teeth.

Ty Lee giggled. "You, too!"

Right then, the girl's drink came. She took it from the counter, took a long drink, and smacked her lips.

"Mmmm, perfect, Mr. J would just _love_ this!" she laughed. She ran a finger over her lips, and then bent and pressed her mouth to Ty Lee's. "There you go, a kiss from Miss Harley. Have a nice night, puddin'!"

She nearly skipped to the door, and she was gone before Ty Lee even thought to ask her name.


	159. ONE FIFTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: brave/inuyashsa  
**pairing**: merida, kagome  
**prompt**: 2012 london Olympics, archery

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The girl from Japan was the one to beat. Merida had gone in knowing that. The girls score was perfect—they would be shooting for gold.

Merida had never wanted something so badly in her entire life. Not for Ireland, not for her father, not for her mother; no, not for anyone except herself. She watched as the girl drew another arrow. Her hair was long and dark and her name was Kagome.

The shot was phenomenal.

It was Merida's turn, then. The girl smiled at her and waved at her little. A wave of warmth washed over Merida, because this strange girl wanted her to do well. They didn't know each other at all.

"Go on," Kagome, "you can do it!"

Merida wasn't about to disappoint her.

She drew her arrow. Took a slow, deep breath.

And released.


	160. ONE SIXTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: kyoshi, azula, aang  
**prompt**: purgatory

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"What are _you_ doing here?"

The shout resonated across the plains of purgatory in perfect tandem, one male and one female. Aang and Azula stared at each other. They both seethed with something neither could name—it wasn't dark enough to be hatred, but it certainly wasn't a nice feeling.

They both screamed.

Kyoshi was sitting on a rock with her eyes closed. She tipped her head back, and quietly, _happily_, swore eternal vengeance on them both.


	161. ONE SIXTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: byakuya/hisana  
**prompt**: reincarnation

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He wakes up with no memories in the body of a little boy with dark hair and a toothy smile. His mother is the kindest, most loveable creature in the world, and when she carries him across the street to play with the neighbour girl, he clings to her neck.

The girl is small. Her hair is soft dark tufts and her eyes are the colour the sky turns just as the sun sets, a violet so dark as to be almost black.

She's lovely, and also covered in applesauce, and when she sees him, she laughs.

_Hisana_, he thinks, and reaches for her. _Hisana_.


	162. ONE SIXTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke/sakura  
**prompt**: shipwreck  
**notes**: prequel to #61 — mermaid!AU

—

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He was drowning.

The ocean was furious, wracked with the kind of storm that land dwellers only heard about in the stories, and Sasuke and his crew were caught in the very middle of it. It was a ship-wrecking storm, a ship-_eater_ storm, and lightning laughed as it crashed and a wave threw him overboard.

Suddenly, there was water in his lungs, and he was drowning.

Sasuke thought distantly that it was almost amusing.

"No!"

He sank deeper into the churning water, and closed his eyes—

And then she was kissing him, breathing life into his lungs. Her hair was pink. Her eyes were green. She had fins.

That was all Sasuke would remember.


	163. ONE SIXTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: asami, councilman!mako  
**prompt**: the great boston molasses tragedy

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The stink of molasses was never going to go away. Asami lounged in the sun—it had been three years, already, but when the sun came out and it it got even a little bit warm, the sweet dark scent of molasses rose from Republic City in waves.

"You should do something about that," she told Mako conversationally. He was despairing. While this was nothing new, there was still a tiny, vindictive part of her that enjoyed his pain.

"What can I do?" he moaned.

Asami stood up and stretched her arms towards the sky. "Wash it clean, I guess."


	164. ONE SIXTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: fullmetal alchemist  
**pairing**: roy/riza  
**prompt**: ss eastland, 24th july, 1915

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On the twenty-fourth of July, seven-hundred and seventy-eight people had died on this ship. Riza thought she could feel them, sometimes, the ghost-soft fingers of people long dead carding through her hair when she wasn't looking. They didn't want her here, didn't want any of them here.

Riza stepped closer to Roy, and didn't say a word.

He glanced down at her for only a second.

He did not step away.


	165. ONE SIXTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: suzaku/euphemia  
**prompt**: the river acheron

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They say there is a river in which the dead swim, in the underworld. They call it the river of pain; Hades' river, the River Acheron.

Euphemia's laughter is silver and light, and she dives in without a thought.

Suzaku looks down into the water, and prays that his princess will not drown.


	166. ONE SIXTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: c.c./lelouch  
**prompt**: pirate hat

—

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It was an ostentatious hat.

It was a thick, well-worked leather tricorn brimming with feathers and charms. C.C. pushed it back on her face, tilted on a strange axis so that she could see, and blinked innocently at Lelouch.

"What is this?" she asked. "Why do you keep it in your closet?"

Lelouch tried very hard to find an answer that didn't make him look like a tool. Finding said answer was harder than he expected—she was wearing the pirate hat and not much else.

They stared at each other for a moment.

And then Lelouch frothed at the mouth from the brain work, and promptly passed out. She pushed the hat back—it was rather large and kept slipping down her forehead to cover her eyes—and stared at him for yet another minute. Then she went to find a marker, and gave him a decidedly unattractive mustache.

In permanent ink.

C.C. took a picture for posterity's sake.


	167. ONE SIXTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: durarara!/misfits  
**pairing**: izaya, nathan  
**prompt**: macau

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Nathan ends up in Macau on the run from the law—it's a decent-sized city, and it's only a short stop. He's headed for Hong Kong next.

But for now, he sits in a noodle shop, loudly slurping at a bowl of thick noodles and telling outrageous lies to the serving girls in a terrible accent. It's fast, this life, and dangerous. But he likes it.

Someone thumps down next to him. Nathan doesn't really pay attention to it because people come in and out of this place like the whole world's on a racetrack.

"So you're the infamous Nat~than, huh?"

Nathan whips his head up, and meets red eyes and a wide, sharp-toothed smiled. He's on the alert. No one knows his real name in this city, and that's the way he wants it to stay. He stares, and doesn't say anything at all.

"Orihara Izaya. I have a… proposition, if you will," the strange sing-songs, and sticks out a hand.

There's something inherently elegant about the gesture, and Nathan thinks of scalpel-exact knife cuts and blood splatters against the wall.

Nathan likes him instantly, and shakes his hand with a grin.


	168. ONE SIXTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: yukio/shura  
**prompt**: yakuza

—

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"What is it with ya kids these days n' fuckin' with the wrong people?"

Yukio, covered in dirt with scuff marks on his glasses and bleeding knuckles, looked up at the woman holding a sword above him. He couldn't see her face; the shadows were too heavy for that.

But he would see her hair.

It was red.

Red as fire. Red as fresh brick. Red as blood.

"C'mon, four-eyes. Get up, 'm takin' ya home."

Yukio blinked at her. "Pardon?"

She sighed heavily through her nose. "God_damn_, I hate kids."


	169. ONE SIXTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: tiger & bunny  
**pairing**: karina/ivan  
**prompt**: catbus

—

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Their second date was at a museum. Ivan thought it was a good idea at the time. Karin thought it was hilarious. Neither of them had any idea how they came to stand in front of Catbus. But they stood there holding hands, and Ivan shrugged.

"What?" he said, "I like it. It's a good movie."

Karin grinned. "You _would_ like Studio Ghibli."

Ivan looked incredibly offended. "Studio Ghibli is godtier animation level, Karina!"

"Sure," she said, and had to stuff her fist in her mouth to stop herself from laughing.


	170. ONE SEVENTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: zuko/katara  
**prompt**: tulou

—

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There were children living in the tulou. It was an old earthen building cut roughly from rock—probably the work of an untrained earthbender—and there were children living in it. The Fire Lord and the Fire Lady shot queasy glances at each other. Zuko's jaw went tight even as Katara's fingers closed gently around his wrist.

"We'll take them to the capital," she said, soft. "We'll take them someplace safe."

"Agni, Katara…"

"They're children, Zuko. This was not your doing. This wasn't anything you could have prevented. This is why Aang has the orphanages."

"But I—"

"_No_, Zuko. I won't let your blame yourself," she said. Her voice was firm, but her eyes were kind. "We'll give them someplace to belong."


	171. ONE SEVENTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: spirited away  
**pairing**: chihiro/haku  
**prompt**: pingyao

—

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Chihiro was eighteen when she found her dragon again. She was visiting Pingyao with her parents on vacation before university—but it wasn't really a vacation, she thought, no, not in this city. It crawled with spirits, ancient as it was, and she would feel them crowding around her. Ever since—well, ever since she was a child, they'd come. They would whisper and run their fingers along her skin, and she could never quite figure out why.

Not until now, at least.

He was wearing a straw hat and a thin blue and white haori, something out of time, and he glanced up for only a second. But in that second, she caught his eye, and all of it, _all_ of it—Yubaba's bathhouse and No Face and Zeniba and Lin and Haku, Haku, _Haku_—it came rushing back.

"Haku!" Chihiro called. "_Haku_!"

He turned and grabbed her on the fly as she threw herself on him and buried his face in his throat.

"I—" he hiccupped. "I—!"

"I know," Haku said gently. He tucked all her edges in closer, 'til they were so close nothing could separate them. "I missed you, too."


	172. ONE SEVENTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: ichigo, tatsuki  
**prompt**: shirakawa-go

—

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Tatsuki tucked Orihime's scarf a little tighter around her friend's neck. It was winter, and it was cold even inside the metal walls of the train. Dragging her best friend and company along to her final match of the year had seemed like a good idea at the time—she was really going to have to rethink the whole part about why she was friends with these people, again.

She caught Ichigo's eye across the train. Rukia had passed out on his shoulder in what looked to be the middle of an argument. His face was soft when he looked down at the diminutive girl.

He was happy. That was good.

Tatsuki nodded just a little. Ichigo grinned, and looked away.


	173. ONE SEVENTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: fairy tail  
**pairing**: gray/lluvia  
**prompt**: skogskyrkogården

—

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"My mother is buried here," Lluvia says. The gate is rusty and it squeaks dispassionately when she pushes on it. Gray stands behind her and doesn't say a word. This is Skogskyrkogården, the Woodland Cemetery, and Gray has never been inside, much less known someone buried beyond the gates.

They walk in silence.

It seems like hours; in this quiet tranquil place, they are far-removed from the rest of the world. Despite himself, Gray feels himself relax.

When Lluvia finally sinks to her knees in front of a grave worn smooth by the wind, Gray holds her as she cries.


	174. ONE SEVENTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender/twilight  
**pairing**: mai/ty lee/azula, bella  
**prompt**: a very high bridge

—

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"This is her? _This_?"

"Now, now, Ty Lee, be nice."

"But—but—but her aura, Azula, there's nothing _there_, she's not even grey like Mai, she's just—!"

"I would like to register my offense. I am not grey."

"You know what I mean, you're a very _nice_ grey, almost blue, actually, but—but—she's _nothing_! How is she nothing?! I didn't even think that was _possible_, Azula!"

"Calm down, Ty Lee."

Bella Swan stared vacantly between the three squabbling girls, vaguely at a loss for words. This was nothing new, as it took more brain cells than Bella possessed to know how to breath and speak at the same time.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, but—"

"Be quiet," Azula ordered. Her gaze was ice. "You've upset Ty Lee."

"I didn't mean to, um, I just—"

Azula had had more than enough of _that_. Lightning flared from her fingertips, and Bella Swan went flying off a very high bridge, _sparkling_ with electricity. She was probably dead. No one cared too much.

"Better?" Azula asked.

Ty Lee pressed her fingers to her cheeks. "Much. Thanks, Azula."

Azula tossed her bangs away from her face. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you. She was polluting my air."

Ty Lee hugged her anyway.


	175. ONE SEVENTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: bolin/jinora  
**prompt**: longmen grottoes

—

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"Dad said Grandpa Aang found this place," Jinora said. She held an old book close to her chest, cradled gently as a child. She was going to be a good mother, Bolin thought idly. "Airbenders' secret. Promise you won't tell?"

Bolin looked down at his fiancée and grinned broadly. "Who would I tell? Meelo?"

She laughed at that, easy and warm. "You are so cheesy. Meelo's already been here, dummy. Just—you'll see, it's called—"

They came up over the ridge, and Bolin stared down in awe. "Where _are_ we, 'Nora?"

Jinora flushed all the way down her neck at the nickname. When Rohan had been too young to say her name properly, he'd called her that, and everyone had picked up on it. Normally, she hated it. It wasn't so bad when it came from Bolin.

"The Dragon's Gate," she said, and slipped a hand through hims. "It's the Airbenders' Longmen Grottoes, where the first Airbender mastered—anyway, I just thought you should, you know, see, because it's a part of my family's history, I guess, and—"

Bolin lifted her up, spun her around, and kissed the air out of her lungs.

"Hey, she laughed. Watch the book!"


	176. ONE SEVENTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: toph/aang  
**prompt**: petra

—

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Toph reached out to press her fingers to the long pillars, milky eyes alight with joy. She turned her ace in his general direction, and said "Twinkletoes, what _is_ this place? It's—it feels—"

Aang flushed amd rubbed the back of his head. "It's called Petra. The monks wrote about it, they said it took all four elements to build it, there's water—"

"Twinkles," Toph said, voice rough. "Shut _up_."

"What? Toph, I—"

"I _said_," she enunciated, "_shut_ _up_."

And then she took his face in her hands and kissed him quite thoroughly. When she pulled away, they were both flushed and looking more than a little breathless. Toph grinned widely.

"Thanks for bringing me here, Twinkles. It means a lot."


	177. ONE SEVENTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: feferi/eridan (pale)  
**prompt**: garajonay national park

—

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"Tell me a story, Eridan," she says, early one night.

The sun's just gone down, the last dregs of sunset still colouring the sky red-gold. Eridan straightens his glasses and looks down at his moirail. She's the most lovely thing he's ever seen in his entire life. He loves her so much it causes him physical pain, and he can deny her nothing, nothing at all, nothing in the entire world.

So he plops down beside her, and he begins.

"Once upon a time, there was a troll named Gara—"

Feferi giggled. "What kind of troll name is Gara?"

Eridan rolled his eyes, secretly pleased at his ability to make her laugh. "A kind that don't know his elbow from his frond, an—"

"You're r—eel awful at telling tales."

"You wanna go do somefin else, then?"

"Shore!" Feferi laughed. "Race you to the water!"

And then she was up and dashing away towards the ocean, and for a moment, Eridan could only watch her and ache inside. And then he was up and after her.

He couldn't let her win _every_ time, could he?


	178. ONE SEVENTY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: toshirou/karin  
**prompt**: boyana church

—

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They were in Bulgaria for Karin's final (final, final, _final_) soccer match.

The Japanese team were slated by a landslide to win—everyone knew it. Karin was the star captain, and she was going to lead them to victory if it killed her (and it probably _would_, which was why Toshirou was along for the ride. Or at least, that was his excuse. Ichigo didn't believe it for a _second_).

"A church. You brought me to a _church_."

"Yes," Karin said. "A church. You can go in those, right? You won't burn up with all that spooky shinigami death shit, right?"

"Your sarcasm is noted but unappreciated," Toshirou said. "_I_ won't break anything, at least."

Karin raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you implying that I _will_, shrimp?"

"Shrimp?!"

"You heard me—"

The interior of the church was quiet. They scuffled silently for a moment, before Karin pulled away, flushed red and irate.

"You can't just kiss me when you want to shut me up, you know!"

Toshirou's smirk was nearly invisible. "Says _you_."


	179. ONE SEVENTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: azula, aang  
**prompt**: potala palace

—

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Aang had no idea why he did it, really. Azula was insane—absolutely, completely crazy, utterly unhinged, more dangerous than likely anyone on the entire planet bar himself. But she was sad, too, really sad. And more than anything, Aang wanted to give her back her happiness, because he had a feeling that it would be something to see. It wasn't the most plausible thing, but it was—it was something.

"Come on, Princess, just a little farther."

Azula came without comment. None of her caretakers could explain why, but she was a little more docile in Aang's presence, so both they and the Fire Lord encouraged it as much as they could.

Aand curled his fingers gently around Azula's wrist. "Come on. I wanna show you something."

"What?"

He pulled her forwards. "This is where bending masters lived—the best ones, anyway, the ones who taught the Avatar. I thought you might like it."

Azula narrowed her eyes. It was a palace. It was beautiful. "Do you think I would be able to belong here, one day? she asked.

Aang shrugged easily. "Sure. Why not?"

Azula eyed him for a second, and then her gaze softened.

"Thank you, Avatar," she said.

"Anytime, Princess," Aang grinned.


	180. ONE EIGHTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: hetalia  
**pairing**: france, greece  
**prompt**: canal du midi

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"They cut me in half to escape Spain," Francis wheezes, hands wrapped around his middle like he was trying to hold himself together. As much as he is attached to his people, he is just as attached to the land—he _is_ the very land, and the trench they dig to escape the hostility leaves him bleeding 'round the middle. He can't tell it he's ever going to heal and he won't—_won't_—lean on Arthur, no matter how much he wants to. Arthur would never let him live this down. Arthur would laugh because that was how Frances and Arthur _worked_.

And so instead, he collapsed against Heracles. It might have been anyone—Feliciano, or even Ludwig, but Heracles is there.

"This is all your fault," Frances snarls into the other's man's shoulder, all yours, all yours—"

Heracles gathered him up and held him, gentle-careful-soft. "I know," he murmured into Frances' throat. "I know. It'll heal."

"It _hurts_," Frances moaned.

Heracles held him for a long time, and whispered nonsense until Frances finally went quiet. They shook together, sticky with immortal blood, and neither spoke for a very long time.


	181. ONE EIGHTY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter  
**pairing**: salazar/rowena  
**prompt**: białowieża forest

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She knelt and pressed her hand to the ground. She murmured "This forest… it's so old. You can feel the magic in it, the ground—Salazar, _listen_!"

He shot a glance back at her. Rowena Ravenclaw glared back at him in a blue cloak on her knees in the dirt, gaze intense. It took all his will not to pick her up and bodily drag her from the wood. Yes, the forest was old. Yes, it was powerfully magical.

"We're still too close to the—" he paused, and his mouth twisted around the unpleasant words "—magic-less. It's not safe here, Rowena."

"I'm tired of running, Salazar," she said. Her voice was very, very soft, and it caught on something in her throat as she spoke, he could tell. He loved her so much he nearly choked on it.

"Me, too," he replied, and looked away.


	182. ONE EIGHTY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: sokka/suki  
**prompt**: the baltoro glacier

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The Baltoro Glacier was one of the biggest glaciers in the world. It was ice and snow and more ice and more snow, but Sokka felt more out of place than he ever had in his entire life. The North Pole was not a place in which he belonged. He shifted uncomfortably.

Suki's hand on his arm brought hims back. He looked at her, her and her blue eyes and her pink smile, and he felt his stomach settle.

She always managed to set things right.


	183. ONE EIGHTY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: ao no exorcist  
**pairing**: rin/shiemi  
**prompt**: waitomo glowworm caves

—

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They had three days after the mission was over to themselves. It was, quite frankly, the best part of the job, Rin thought. And New Zealand was so different than anything he or Shiemi had ever experienced that they had too much to do, and not enough time to do it all in.

But the glowworm caves were something they both needed to see.

The movement of the boat was smooth on the water beneath them and it was in nearly perfect and pitch darkness that Shiemi clutched his hand tight and warm. Her skin was chapped and dry; she'd been playing in the dirt again—

And just them, they passed into the glowwarm grotto.

Shiemi stared upwards, eyes alight, and Rin stared at her. Underneath the blue-white twinkle of the glowworms, she was ethereal. She was all wide eyes and silvery hair, and she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen

Rin couldn't help himself.

He leaned forwards, and kissed her.


	184. ONE EIGHTY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of zelda  
**pairing**: link, midna  
**prompt**: the chandelier ballroom, lechuguilla cave

—

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Link did not have a single clue about where they were. There were weird white-rock-crystal monster things everywhere. He was quite certain that he was going to die.

"Why do you _always_ get me into things like this?!"

Midna yawned. "Because you'd be so much more boring if I didn't. Now, giddy-up, wolf-boy, and let's go _explore_!"


	185. ONE EIGHTY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: kyoshi, aang  
**prompt**: the mahabodhi temple

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"This is a sacred place, Avatar Aang. Do not force me to desecrate it with your blood," Kyoshi said. Her fans flashed warningly in the soft light, and Aang gulped. It was never a good idea to make Kyoshi angry.

"Where are we?" Aang asked, curious

Kyoshi eyes him with something that might have been distaste. "Do you have no sense of history, _airbender_? This was the temple where the first airbending master took his tattoos! The Mahabodhi Temple! Did Gyatso teach you _nothing?_! Have some _respect_!"

And with that, she whapped him smartly over the back of the head, and Aang was forcibly knocked back to the realm of the living.

"Ow!" he complained aloud.

Kyoshi's voice echoed loudly on the inside of his head. "Respect, Avatar. _LEARN SOME._"


	186. ONE EIGHTY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: human!pabu/human!naga  
**prompt**: aurora australis

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"It's freezing out here."

"Hush, I promise it'll be worth it!"

Naga and Pabu stood huddled in the middle of the icy tundra together, bundled up in traditional Souther Water Tribe furs. Naga's eyes were shining bright blue and her exposed cheeks were flushed with cold; she looked like she was having the time of her life.

Pabu, on the other hand, looked decidedly uncomfortable. "Naga, seriously, it's really fucking cold—"

"Don't swear," she said, and looked to be about to rattle off an entire lecture on why swearing was bad.

And just then, the sky burst into colour. Pink, green, yellow, red—it shimmered across the sky in rippling waves as unpredictable as the ocean itself.

The two teenagers watched, speechless.

"Wow," Pabu breathed. "_Wow_."

Naga grinned, and bumped him with her hip. "Told you so."


	187. ONE EIGHTY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter  
**pairing**: lily, snape  
**prompt**: hagia sophia

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Lily came back from her trip to Turkey the summer after third sunburnt and so freckled she looked like she'd tanned. She waved her hands as she spoke, animated as she told him all about the churches and the museums and the mosques, and the churches that had been turned into mosques that had been turned into museums. And she laughed and laughed and hugged him over and over again, sunshine caught in the dark red of her hair.

Severus watched her, eyes hungry, and drank in her face. She was lovely, and he'd missed her so very, very much.


	188. ONE EIGHTY-EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: legend of korra  
**pairing**: korra/asami  
**prompt**: lake baikal

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"It's the oldest lake in the world," Asami said, and began to reel off the facts. "Also the deepest, and seven-hundred-and-forty-four-point-four metres deep on average—"

Korra tuned her out, and dove promptly straight in.

Asami stared, aghast. "Korra, get out, do you have _any_ idea how _illegal_—?"

The wave of water came out of nowhere. It soaked Asami all the way to her skin, and she only stood still for a moment before she launched herself after her ridiculous best friend.

Asami Sato didn't _lose_.

_Especially_ not to the Avatar.

And later, when they emerged from the ancient lake dripping wet and laughing uncontrollably with their arms slung casually about each other's waist, Korra pressed her mouth to Asami's and didn't stop to breath.

It burned all the way down, but Asami didn't push her away.


	189. ONE EIGHTY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender/buffy the vampire slayer  
**pairing**: buffy, toph  
**prompt**: boudica

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"So you killed yourself to avoid getting captured?"

"Something like that," Toph shrugged. "It was that or torture. I blew the damn place up, instead."

Buffy's grin was wolfish, the gold of her hair washing away the ice in her eyes but not the blood on her hands. "Very Boudica of you."

"Take no shit, ever," Toph grinned.

They totally high-fived. Dying on one's own terms was always better than waiting around for the Romans to fuck you up.


	190. ONE NINTY

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: ty lee, yangchen  
**prompt**: the porcelain tower of nanjing

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Ty Lee knelt at the ruins of the porcelain tower. This had been an Airbender refuge, once; now it was only wreckage, but she still came here to pray.

"Please, Spirits, don't let them find out," she whispered into the calm, clear air.

She did not expect an answer.

"Get up, child. This is no time to be kneeling."

Ty Lee's head jerked up and her eyes went wide as plates. A woman with blue tattoos stood there, dressed in the yellows and oranges of Airbenders past. She smiled very slightly at her.

"Who are you?" Ty Lee asked. "You're… warm."

"I am Avatar Yangchen. And you, my dear," she said, "are an Airbender. Come. I have much to teach you and very, very little time."


	191. ONE NINETY–ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: fullmetal alchemist  
**pairing**: roy/ed  
**prompt**: bélem tower

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"This is a ridiculous waste of time."

They'd been stationed in the ancient tower for four days. So far, nothing had happened.

Well, nothing beyond Roy and Ed trying to kill each other every five minutes, but that was to be expected. The Flame Alchemist and the Fullmetal Alchemist never did get along.

"_You're_ a ridiculous waste of time."

"Do you want to _fight_, Fullmetal!?"

"I could take you missing an arm and a leg—oh wait, I am!"

"You little—!"

"Little!? I'll kill you—!"

The explosion was heard for miles and miles around. Roy and Ed left the building coughing up dust.

"I hate you."

"I hate you _more_."


	192. ONE NINETY–TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: gyatso, roku  
**prompt**: nalanda

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"So what you're telling me is that this is like Airbender University."

The monk sighed. "_Yes_, Roku, it is a center for higher learning—we have to be quiet or we'll get in trouble—this is sort of a secret, but you're the Avatar—"

Roku's grin did not promise anything good. "Let's go find some secrets, then!"

This idea was not highly amenable to Gyatso. "If we get caught, I'm blaming you."

"Dude," Roku laughed, "I'm the _Avatar_! What would go wrong?"


	193. ONE NINETY–THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: homestuck  
**pairing**: jane/jake  
**prompt**: kanark sun temple

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The Sun Temple was the only building on all of prospi that was not the colour of gold. Jane went there sometimes, to be on her. It was quiet inside, cool and dark.

Jake went with her, once in a while.

"Do you think we'll ever catch that scamp of a sun god?"

Jane blinked at him. "Gee," she said, "I dunno. I would like to?"

"So would I, fair dame."

Jane giggled aloud, and leaned against him. That was Jake, alright.


	194. ONE NINETY–FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender  
**pairing**: koh, kyoshi  
**prompt**: mausoleum of the first qin emperor

—

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"What do you want, Avatar Kiyoshi?"

Kiyoshi's face was perfectly blank of emotion—her make-up made her look like a demon, but she did not smile. "I've come to kill you, Koh."

The ancient spirit chortled. "You, and what army, my dear?"

Her expression did not change at all, but there was a sudden, dangerous glint in her eyes. "This one," she said, and raised her arms.

The terracotta soldiers marched in perfect time. They were made of stone. They did not have faces to steal.

For the first time, Koh was afraid.

Kiyoshi turned away, and allowed herself to smirk.


	195. ONE NINETY–FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sakura  
**prompt**: root anbu

—

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She has him pinned against the ground. She moves sure and silent, slick as warm oil and when he gets his fingers around the mask on her face to rip it away, there is no recognition in the dull bottle-green of her eyes when she looks at him.

"Sakura—" he says.

"I do not know of whom you speak," she replies. She ends his life without another word. Her hands are spotless when she pulls away.

They have wiped her clean. No trace of Haruno Sakura remains in this body. She disappears to deliver her mission report. Uchiha Sasuke is dead.

She feels nothing at all.


	196. ONE NINETY–SIX

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: dcu  
**pairing**: dick/koriand'r  
**prompt**: flying in the rain

—

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When she flies in the rain, her hair does strange things. Water against fire always did react, Dick things when she comes in soaked and trailing steal. Her hair is slicked back away from her face. She is lovely.

"You look like a kettle," he grins.

"Hello to you, too," she says, and her voice is wry and amused. She slides her arms around his neck, and the steam curls around them both.

"Awww, look, you got me wet!" he complains, but not really because he completely refused any annoyance by pulling her closer.

"You like it," Kori smiles, and covers her mouth over his.

Dick makes a pleased sound in the back of his throat, and then they don't speak for a very, very long time.


	197. ONE NINETY–SEVEN

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: sasuke/sakura  
**prompt**: high school

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"_Another_ high school AU? Are you _kidding_ me_?_!"

"Sakura, be quiet and deal with it."

Sakura shook her fist at the sky, eyes flashing rage. "No! I will _not_ deal with it! Look at these uniforms! Look at my _hair_! Ugh, this is hideous, and this is _all your fault_!"

Sasuke was very offended. "_My_ fault?"

"Yes, your fault!"

"How is it _my_ fault?"

"Because everyone thinks nerdy Haruno Sakura getting a makeover and falling in love with the oh-so-mighty-and-aloof Uchiha Sasuke is the best thing since sliced bread, but it's _not_! See, _all your fault_!"

She was huffing, cheeks all red and eyes still flashing. It was very amusing. Sasuke did something, then, that was probably not the smartest thing he'd ever done in his life. He patted her the top of the head.

Like that would mollify her, or something.

Sakura screamed, and punched him into outer space.


	198. ONE NINETY–EIGHT

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: naruto  
**pairing**: the girls  
**prompt**: hair swap

—

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Mostly it was an experiment. Ino's idea—all of the most harebrained things they did were Ino's idea. Like the stripper poles. Ino's idea. And the bacon-flavoured vodka. Ino's idea. Sakura could go on, but it would be a very long list.

"Are you s-sure about this?" Hinata asked, concerned.

"Yeah, 'course!" Ino said, breezy. "What _else_ is hair for?"

"Er—I don't know?"

"Exactly! Experimenting! See, I'll be you, you'll be Tenten, Tenten will be Sakura, and Sakura will be me!"

"I object!" two voices rang clear through the bathroom.

Ino glared at them. "_Why_?"

"I don't want you near my hair," Tenten said.

"And I don't want to be you," Sakura added, deadpan.

"BUT IT'LL BE SO CUTE!"

"_NO_, INO!"


	199. ONE NINETY–NINE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: doctor who/puella magi madoka magica  
**pairing**: kyuubey, the doctor  
**prompt**: the tomb of arsinoe iv of egypt

—

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"This poor girl? Really? That long ago?"

The cotton fluff-ball shrugged white shoulders. "She was very angry. Very powerful. Not as powerful as Madoka-chan, but—"

The Doctor's eyes went sharp. "You'd best be staying away from my people, Kyuubey. I have no qualms about destroying your planet—remember the Daleks."

"The Daleks were weak," Kyuubey said delicately. "Now, good Doctor. Would you care to make a contract?"


	200. TWO HUNDRED

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: harry potter  
**pairing**: narcissa, bellatrix  
**prompt**: "he's just a boy"

—

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"He's just a boy, Cissa. He poses no threat to the Dark Lord!"

Narcissa's eyes burn as she looks at her eldest sister. "Oh? No threat? Then why does He fear him so?"

"Potter is just a _child_!"

"So is Draco!" Narcissa nearly screams. Her mouth is a slash of crimson on her face. "They are both simply _children_."

Bellatrix rolls her eyes towards the ceiling. "It's not the same."

"It _is_ the same," Narcissa replies. Her eyes turn to flint, flat and dark. "It _is_ the same, Bella, and I'm going to do something about it."


	201. TWO OH ONE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: bleach  
**pairing**: byakya/hisana  
**prompt**: union station, chicago  
**notes**: continuation of #161 — reincarnation

—

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She jumps off the train, frazzled and looking ridiculous, and he can't help but drink her in. She's looking around, confused for a moment—Union Station is large and a little disorienting, but she manages to catch sight of him, and her whole face lights up. Her name is Ana, and she quite literally throws herself on him. She's laughing into his chest, and everything is right in the world.

"I missed you!" she says into his coat. He knows she is trying not to cry. He doesn't mention it. This is nothing new, and they grew up together, but God, he loves her so much he almost can't stand it.

The man who was Byakyua wraps his arms around her, buries his nose in her hair, and thinks _Hisana, Hisana, Hisana_.

He does not let her go.


	202. TWO OH TWO

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: puella magi madoka magica/RL people  
**pairing**: madoka, ecaterina teodoroiu  
**prompt**: the battle of marasesti

—

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"This is where you changed."

"Yes."

"Why did you agree to the contract?"

"He offered me power to protect my country. I could not turn it down. I had to protect what was mine! If I did not… the enemy would have taken everything I loved, and then they would have destroyed it."

"But you can let go, now," Madoka said gently. "The battle's over. You've won! So it's time to move on."

"Is it?" Ecaterina asked.

"Yup," beamed Madoka. "He doesn't own you anymore."

The battleworn woman with bullet holes in her chest smiled down at the little girl with pink hair in her frilly pink dress. A moment of understanding passed between them. "You are selfless, child."

"No," Makoda said. "I just wanted everyone to get along."

"And so they have," murmured Ecaterina. "You're right. It is time to go. Goodbye, little magical girl."

"Bye!" Madoka waved cheerily.

Ecaterina Teodoroiu disappeared.


	203. TWO OH THREE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: buffy the vampire slayer/lost girl  
**pairing**: buffy, bo  
**prompt**: weapon shop

—

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They meet for the first time in a weapon shop. The smell of the supernatural reeks off them both, and the two women eye each other a little warily. There was no telling what sorts you'd meet in a weapon shop (especially a weapon shop like this one—killing was a very delicate business, after all). Finally, Bo stuck out a hand.

"I'm Bo. So what do you do for a living?"

"Kill vampires. You?"

"Seduce people and solve crimes."

They looked at each other for another moment and the blonde girl flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I'm Buffy. Friends?"

Bo grinned. "Hell yeah."


	204. TWO OH FOUR

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: code geass  
**pairing**: kallen, lelouch  
**prompt**: versus the stairs

—

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"I cannot go on!"

Kallen stared down at Lelouch, utterly unamused. "They're just some stairs."

"But there's so _many_!" he moaned, and pointed at all _three_ of the steps.

"Are you kidding me," Kallen said. It wasn't a question, and she crossed her arms over her chest, deadpan.

"No?"

"Oh my—you are _such_ a pussy, I don't even know what to _do_ with you—" she huffed, and quite literally dragged him up the stairs. She was very careful to make sure he hit his head hard on every single stair, and when the princeling moaned, Kallen could only grin.


	205. TWO OH FIVE

**disclaimer**: disclaimed.

**fandom**: avatar: the last airbender/code geass/ao no exorcist/naruto/harry potter  
**pairing**: azula, lelouch, yukio, sasuke, hermione  
**prompt**: group therapy

—

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"I'm not doing this, I am the Princess of the Fire Nation—"

"Sit _down_, Azula."

Azula sat. She crossed her arms and huffed, irritable, but she _did_ sit. It was far more than anyone _else_ had gotten out of her.

"I have an empire to rule. Can I go yet?"

"You do _not_ have an empire to rule. Sit _down_, Lelouch."

"My brother is still alive out there, this is a waste of time—"

"Sasuke. _Sit_."

"Can I—?"

"_No_, Yukio. All of you _sit. down_."

They did. Good.

"You all know why you're here," she said.

All four of her patients began to clamour. She raised her wand, and primly cast a Silencing spell. "You are all here to learn to _play nice_. We can do that, correct?"

They all nodded sullenly.

She lifted the spell.

Everyone started yelling all at once. Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, and Silenced them again. This was all a certain saviour's fault. These idiots were out of control, and this was only session two.

Hermione sighed.

She was going to _kill_ Harry.


End file.
